Type 31 Frigate (Inspiration Class) [News Only]

Contains threads on Royal Navy equipment of the past, present and future.

What will be the result of the 'Lighter Frigate' programme?

Programme cancelled, RN down to 14 escorts
52
10%
Programme cancelled & replaced with GP T26
14
3%
A number of heavy OPVs spun as "frigates"
127
25%
An LCS-like modular ship
22
4%
A modernised Type 23
24
5%
A Type 26-lite
71
14%
Less than 5 hulls
22
4%
5 hulls
71
14%
More than 5 hulls
103
20%
 
Total votes: 506

bobp
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by bobp »

No contract announcement yet? Thought it would happen at DSEI 2019

CameronPerson
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by CameronPerson »

https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/is-the ... announced/

Report on Type 31 activities at DSEI. I’ve never noticed the MOD wording of having a vessel “in the water” by 2023 until now; the article reports that they’ve accepted a delay due to the competition being halted last year.

As for announcements, Alistair Bunkall the Defence correspondent at Sky tweeted that the common belief amongst his colleagues is that the winner will be announced Thursday. We’ll have to watch this space..

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

A good article as it digs into the unknowns
" a brand new covered shipbuilding hall at Rosyth capable of building two of the 5,700-tonne frigates simultaneously."
- once "in the water, a "rapid" fitting out... up to a year that is?

But where? " as unknown as the precise weapon and sensor fit for this critical frigate project"

The article hints that there could be something in the T31+FSS soup for CL, but omits to mention such a possibility for BAE
- who is it, again, that already operates a fitting-out yard ;)
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

Repulse
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Repulse »

CL seem to be happy to work with whoever. Must admit I like the design in the picture in the link below - looks more realistic than the A140, but also seems to have lost the boat bays.

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/imps ... pe-31e-al/
”We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow." - Lord Palmerston

Repulse
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Repulse »

FT seems confident on the Babcock bid.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EENgbhvX4AA ... name=large
”We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow." - Lord Palmerston

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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

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Aethulwulf
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Aethulwulf »

From the Telegraph....

Boris Johnson: Let's bring shipbuilding home with new Type 31 Royal Navy frigates

The fortunes of troubled shipbuilder Harland and Wolff could be revived with the announcement on Thursday of the preferred bidder to design new Type 31 frigates to be built in the UK.

Work will commence before the end of this year with the first of at least five ships ready by 2023 as part of a pledge to expand the Royal Navy’s fleet over the next 20 years.

British shipbuilders BAE Systems, Babcock and Atlas Elektronik UK are on the shortlist for the £1.25 billion contract to replace Type 23 frigates.

The Babcock-led team, which the Daily Telegraph last month reported was set to win the tender, included Harland and Wolff before the 158-year-old company which built the Titanic went into administration last month.

Different elements of the frigates will be assembled and built at British shipyards, which could potentially also provide a lifeline to other beleaguered shipbuilders based in Appledore in Devon and north Tyneside.

The Type 31 contract has taken on a new urgency with questions about whether the Navy has enough ships. Existing operations have come under strain after warships were rushed to the Persian Gulf to escort merchant vessels amid escalating tensions with Iran.

Mr Johnson will visit a ship in the Thames today to announce the preferred bidder before the contract is awarded later this year in a move that will support 2,500 jobs including at least 150 new technical apprenticeships.

Mr Johnson said: “The UK is an outward-looking island nation, and we need a shipbuilding industry and Royal Navy that reflect the importance of the seas to our security and prosperity.

“This is an industry with a deep and visceral connection to so many parts of the UK and to the Union itself. My government will do all it can to develop this aspect of our heritage and the men and women who make up its workforce – from apprentices embarking on a long career, to those families who have worked in shipyards for generations.“I look forward to the restoration of British influence and excellence across the world’s oceans. I am convinced that by working together we will see a renaissance in this industry which is so much part of our island story – so let’s bring shipbuilding home.”

The government has committed to buying at least five of the vessels for the Navy, but more are expected to be exported to governments around the world following the success of UK-designed Type 26 frigates, which have already been sold to Australia and Canada. They are built at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard on the Clyde, securing 20 years of work at the site and safeguarding over 4,000 jobs.

The government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, announced two years ago, also aims to make Britain a world leader in commercial shipbuilding, particularly for cruise ships, ferries and yachts. The leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine sector expanded by 1.7 per cent last year, its seventh consecutive year of growth. Last year the UK was third in global yacht building rankings.

To realise this shipbuilding ambition, the Prime Minister has appointed Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as Shipbuilding Tsar.

Last night, Mr Wallace said: “The Type 31 frigates will be a fast, agile and versatile warship, projecting power and influence across the globe. The ships will be vital to the Royal Navy’s mission to keeping peace, providing life-saving humanitarian aid and safeguarding the economy across the world from the North Atlantic, to the Gulf, and in the Asia Pacific.”

All five ships will be delivered by the end of 2028 although a decision on where the Type 31 frigates will be based will be made in due course. The ships will be fitted with Sea Ceptor missile systems, a range of highly advanced weapon, sensor and combat systems including a 4D air and surface surveillance and target indication radar. The will also boast capabilities to operate with a Merlin or Wildcat helicopter.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/20 ... oyal-navy/

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RichardIC
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by RichardIC »

FT text.



Babcock group wins contract to build Royal Navy frigates
Deal throws potential lifeline to collapsed shipyards in N Ireland and Scotland


A consortium led by defence group Babcock International has won the competition to build new frigates for the Royal Navy, securing hundreds of jobs at British shipyards, including in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The deal throws a potential lifeline to Belfast’s Harland & Wolff, the builder of the Titanic that fell into administration last month. It will also provide a much-needed boost for Ferguson Marine Engineering, which is poised to be taken over by the Scottish government after collapsing in August. Both yards are members of the Babcock consortium.

Boris Johnson, who is due to name the preferred bidder on Thursday, will hope that the announcement will burnish his credentials as a strong supporter of the United Kingdom.

Pledging to bring “shipbuilding home”, the prime minister said the UK was “an outward-looking island nation, and we need a shipbuilding industry and Royal Navy that reflect the importance of the seas to our security and prosperity”. However, warships have always been built in the UK.

Stephen Kerr, the Conservative MP for Stirling, said the news was “absolutely fantastic” for Scotland and would provide “new jobs for young Scots”.

Mr Johnson has struggled to marry his party’s focus on the union with his drive towards a hard Brexit, highlighted by the resignation of Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson last month.

Party insiders said that if an election were held this year, it expected to lose the majority of its MPs in Scotland. The Babcock news will probably be cited by Mr Johnson during a campaign as an example of how the Conservatives are investing in companies across the union.

The Scottish National party has accused the UK government of breaking promises made before the 2014 independence referendum by cutting the number of more sophisticated Type 26 frigates to be built by BAE Systems in Glasgow.

The competition to build five Type 31e frigates for £1.25bn was launched in February 2017 but concerns have been raised about the cut-price budget. The ships, which are intended to carry out maritime security, interdiction and other tasks, will replace the Type 23s. The first ship is due to be delivered in 2023.

Unions had previously warned of job losses at Babcock’s Rosyth yard if it failed to win the competition, with work on building the navy’s two aircraft carriers starting to come to an end.

The Babcock consortium includes Thales, as well as H&W and Ferguson. Under the original proposal, the plan was to assemble the vessels at Rosyth using “blocks” built by H&W and Ferguson. It remained unclear if the role of H&W and Ferguson in the consortium would be affected by their predicament.

Mr Johnson will also use the announcement as part of a wider pledge to reinvigorate British shipbuilding and strengthen the Royal Navy, which has come under scrutiny following Iran’s seizure of a UK tanker.

Mr Johnson is appointing Ben Wallace, defence secretary, as shipbuilding tsar, with the task of working across government to enhance the “shipbuilding enterprise”.

The Type 31 programme is a key part of the UK’s national naval shipbuilding strategy, itself a response to an independent review in 2016 by industrialist John Parker. It recommended that ships be designed with exports in mind and collaboration between shipbuilders, reversing a policy that had left BAE Systems the main supplier of naval vessels.

The Babcock consortium won in the face of competition from a BAE-led team and one led by Atlas Elektronik UK.

Babcock declined to comment.


CameronPerson
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by CameronPerson »

https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/babcoc ... mpetition/

Another article on the news that they’ve won. I imagine it’ll be a few more months before we get a better idea of chosen armament etc.

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xav
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by xav »

Babcock Team 31 selected as preferred bidder for UK Type 31 frigate programme
Image
Babcock Team 31 has been selected by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) as the preferred bidder to deliver its new warships. Led by Babcock, the Aerospace and Defence company, and in partnership with the Thales Group, the T31 general purpose frigate programme will provide the UK Government with a fleet of five ships, at an average production cost of £250 million per ship.
https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/ds ... programme/

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Mr Johnson will visit a ship in the Thames today to announce the preferred bidder
Which one have they taken to the exhibition this year (assuming HMS Belfast won't be used as a 'prop')?
Type 26 frigates, which have already been sold to Australia and Canada. They are built at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard on the Clyde, securing 20 years of work at the site
Should one divide that by 8... to get the drumbeat?
the Prime Minister has appointed Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as Shipbuilding Tsar.
Osborne already hijacked the "boats enterprise" for the Treasury... though somehow that body also ranks as one of (or on par with) the Armed Forces Commands.
All five ships will be delivered by the end of 2028
One a year then. Would not exclude building two side by side, to smooth out the utilisation of different trades.
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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shark bait
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by shark bait »

Welcome news, the only frigate in the race won!

What the hell as we going to talk about here now?
@LandSharkUK

jonas
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by jonas »

Oh I have no doubts whatsoever that you will find something. :shh:

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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Caribbean »

shark bait wrote:Welcome news, the only frigate in the race won!
Indeed
shark bait wrote:What the hell as we going to talk about here now?
The colour of the wardroom carpet?
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill

jonas
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by jonas »

As I said. :shh:

Repulse
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Repulse »

shark bait wrote:What the hell as we going to talk about here now?
Why the RN ships have none of the kit that was shown in the glossy sales brochures and models.
”We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow." - Lord Palmerston

Caribbean
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by Caribbean »

jonas wrote:As I said.
Sorry :shifty:
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill

jonas
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by jonas »

One thinks that this is slightly OTT :-

Quote
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

“These mighty ships will form the next generation of the Royal Navy fleet. The Type 31 frigates will be a fast, agile and versatile warship, projecting power and influence across the globe.
Unquote. :lolno:

RetroSicotte
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by RetroSicotte »

Ah yes, "agile", the persistent word to mean "lacking in punch" for any military worldwide.

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RichardIC
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by RichardIC »

shark bait wrote:What the hell as we going to talk about here now?
How about the Government's brand new "maritime export strategy"?!

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/imps ... -go-ahead/

At an evening function on 11 September, Elizabeth Truss, Secretary of State for International Trade, stated that the following day would see the release of the government’s maritime export strategy, adding yet more fuel to the mix of fact and fiction that has stoked naval conversations in recent days.

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SKB
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by SKB »



Babcock have just released a new video....


(BabcockInternational) 12th September 2019

Image

https://www.arrowhead140.com/

donald_of_tokyo
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by donald_of_tokyo »

H&W and Ferguson Marine has gone!! :shock:

Completely wiped-away from the web?


donald_of_tokyo
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Re: Type 31 General Purpose Frigate [News Only]

Post by donald_of_tokyo »

donald_of_tokyo wrote:H&W and Ferguson Marine has gone!! :shock:

Completely wiped-away from the web?
I mean, gone from the Arrowhead 140 web. It means, Babcock winning T31e might have little impact on the future of H&W and FM, because they look like not a team member anymore.

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