Type 31 Frigate (Inspiration Class) [News Only]

[Ron5]

Seeing some of the earlier posts with reference to programme costs, you still need to careful when quoting NAO reported programme costs. NAO report against approved costs in business cases. So they could easily state that the programme cost has changed from £1.25b to £2b. This will be because additional activity has now been approved such as maturing the non equipment DLOD elements rather than a change in the production cost of the 5 ships. We will only know the actual production price of the Type 31s when all have been delivered and a post costing exercise has been undertaken.

And then it will be kept secret under "competitive commercial".

[Ron5]

Comparing procurement costs between UK, US, Australia and etc is virtually impossible so it doesn’t fit.

Finding out US costs is simple and open. Other governments in other countries go out of their way to hide such info.

[tomuk]

Comparing procurement costs between UK, US, Australia and etc is virtually impossible so it doesn’t fit.

Finding out US costs is simple and open. Other governments in other countries go out of their way to hide such info.

Despite all the politicking and pork barrelling that goes on the amount of transparency in American defence procurement is admirable.

[SKB]

[jedibeeftrix]

Is this the one that is supposed to be in the water by the end of the year?

[new guy]

Is this the one that is supposed to be in the water by the end of the year?

Yes.

[S M H]

When Babcock built the air support craft. They built the hull. Stern frames to the bow. The frames were numbered from the stern to bow. This was opersite to naval practice that frame one was at the bow. If they are following that building practice i would expect it to be in the water later this year.

[new guy]

When Babcock built the air support craft. They built the hull. Stern frames to the bow. The frames were numbered from the stern to bow. This was opersite to naval practice that frame one was at the bow. If they are following that building practice i would expect it to be in the water later this year.

Yes, it is on track to be in the water this year.
Also, Air Support Craft?

[Jensy]

When Babcock built the air support craft. They built the hull. Stern frames to the bow. The frames were numbered from the stern to bow. This was opersite to naval practice that frame one was at the bow. If they are following that building practice i would expect it to be in the water later this year.

Yes, it is on track to be in the water this year.
Also, Air Support Craft?

I think those Air Support Craft come in at 65,000 tonnes each....

[bobp]

Bow section going for paint and the stern too

[SouthernOne]

Comparing procurement costs between UK, US, Australia and etc is virtually impossible so it doesn’t fit.

Finding out US costs is simple and open. Other governments in other countries go out of their way to hide such info.

Not sure I entirely agree with that. Unless you're building or buying a large quantity of "something" it's pretty hard to calculate a unit cost that has much meaning, particularly when there are associated infrastructure, munitions, equipment and basing costs that might also be shared with other programs. That's why Australia uses full-life program costs so much. The "cost" of a Virginia class submarine for the navy, only starts with the amount payable to the US DoD for an "empty" boat, but goes far deeper.

[Timmymagic]

Cancel the 40mm Bofors order immediately....

40mm CTA with 4 LMM (or Starstreak 2).

EDIT: Gabrielle Molinelli has spotted that they are in fact Starstreak tubes, the end of the missile tubes just visible as is the same diameter as the front, plus you can just make out the circular indentations in the end caps. Apparently it was just representative as Thales had some dummy Starstreak tubes spare...

Also...the 4 round launcher is the exact same one as seen on the MSI Seahawk Sigma in recent years and the Aselsan launcher.

[bobp]

More construction pictures....

[bobp]

And in other news...

[NickC]

June Desider reported MoD have placed a £70 million contract with Thales for a shore based test and integration facility at Portmouth for T31s mission systems and equipment, presuming a suite of Thales radar, Tacticos etc fitted to the T31, and an indication of what Babcock funding out of their £250 million main T31 contract to Thales?

[RichardIC]

https://www.navylookout.com/first-membe ... -venturer/

“Once accepted from Babcock, all five ships will undergo a period of capability upgrades under the MoD and demonstration trials before entering service”.

[bobp]

Some Navy blokes join their new ship...

[shark bait]

Kinda cool, that's 10% of the total crew!

[shark bait]

“Once accepted from Babcock, all five ships will undergo a period of capability upgrades under the MoD and demonstration trials before entering service”.

This is good. This is one of the reasons the Danes attributed to the low cost of their vessels. They didn't keep a whole ship yard on standby while the government faff about on their KPIs.

[Poiuytrewq]

Polish specification confirmed.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... -frigates/

[donald_of_tokyo]

Polish specification confirmed.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... -frigates/

Thanks a lot, very interesting info!!

Good thing is
- Polish navy looks like being the kick-off customer of Mk.41 installed quad-pack CAMM.
- Interesting is the sonar is "BlueHunter (or KINGKLIP Mk2) hull sonar" and "CAPTAS-2" (not 4) VDS-TASS.

Another interesting point is, SeaCeptor has a rumor that the system can handle only up to 48 missiles. But, if it is 32x4 = up to 128 CAMM in the 32-cell Mk41 VLS, this "limit" is overcome? (or just not correct information).

CAMM-ER and MR issue look like we need to wait for a few years to see how it will go.

[Tempest414]

Polish specification confirmed.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... -frigates/

Thanks a lot, very interesting info!!

Good thing is
- Polish navy looks like being the kick-off customer of Mk.41 installed quad-pack CAMM.
- Interesting is the sonar is "BlueHunter (or KINGKLIP Mk2) hull sonar" and "CAPTAS-2" (not 4) VDS-TASS.

Another interesting point is, SeaCeptor has a rumor that the system can handle only up to 48 missiles. But, if it is 32x4 = up to 128 CAMM in the 32-cell Mk41 VLS, this "limit" is overcome? (or just not correct information).

CAMM-ER and MR issue look like we need to wait for a few years to see how it will go.

Quad packed CAMM into Mk-41 could be a joint UK - Polish affair which could be good not only the UK and Poland but MBDA also and maybe Canada who will be quad packing CAMM in EXlS anyway

[serge750]

1.8 eu for 3 ? the 5 for the RN doesn't sound to bad - considering our higher labour costs ? - found it strange that the first one is "full fat" but the last 2 are getting upgraded later....

[new guy]

1.8 eu for 3 ? the 5 for the RN doesn't sound to bad - considering our higher labour costs ? - found it strange that the first one is "full fat" but the last 2 are getting upgraded later....

Not that strange in my mind, quite a political decision. First one comes online, oooh, look, big show frigate. Lots of talk about it. No political cares about the second or third one because after the first there is no political value, only cost. Also, there is a gap in production between the first one and the other two. This is intended as a time for lesson learning and improvements to be made. Poland wants to evaluate their design in the flesh before committing their entire (Frigate) fleet to it.

[new guy]

“Once accepted from Babcock, all five ships will undergo a period of capability upgrades under the MoD and demonstration trials before entering service”.

This is good. This is one of the reasons the Danes attributed to the low cost of their vessels. They didn't keep a whole ship yard on standby while the government faff about on their KPIs.

Increases likelihood of first hulls being fitted with MK41?