Type 31 frigate

The Type 31 frigate or Inspiration class, and formerly known as the Type 31e frigate or General Purpose Frigate (GPF), is a planned class of Frigate intended to enter service with the United Kingdom's Royal Navy in the 2020s alongside the submarine-hunting Type 26 frigate.[17] It is intended that the Type 31 frigate will replace the general-purpose Type 23 frigates. The Type 31 is part of the British government's "National Shipbuilding Strategy".

The winning design submitted by Babcock which is based on the Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates
Class overview
NameType 31 Frigate
Builders
Operators
Preceded byType 23 frigate
Cost£268 million (2019)[4] per unit (est.)
In service2027[5][6]
Planned
  • 10 (Total)[7]
  • 5 (UK)
  • 2 (Indonesia)
  • 3 (Poland)
Building5
Completed0
General characteristics
TypeGeneral purpose Frigate
Displacement
  • 5,700 t (5,600 long tons)
  • Also listed: 7,000 t (6,900 long tons; 7,700 short tons)[8]
Length138.7 m (455 ft 1 in)
Installed power
  • 4 × Rolls Royce/MTU 20V 8000 M71 (8.2 MW) diesel engines[9]
  • 4 × Rolls Royce/MTU 16V 2000 M41B (900 kW) generators
  • or 4 × Caterpillar 3512C (1360 kW) generators
Propulsion
  • CODAD propulsion System
  • MAN Alpha VBS Mk 5 CP propeller
  • 2 × Shafts[10]
SpeedIn excess of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Endurance9,000 nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 mi)
Complement80–100 (accommodation for >180)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • TACTICOS combat management system
  • Thales NS110 4D Dual-Axis Multi-Beam AESA Radar
  • Raytheon Warship Integrated Navigation and Bridge System
  • Terma Scanter and Raytheon NSX navigation radars
  • 2 × Mirador Mk2 EOS
  • Viasat Ultrahigh-frequency satellite communications[11]
  • Blue Hunter hull sonar and CAPTAS-2 towed sonar (Polish units only)
  • Sonar 2170 (Royal Navy units)[12]
Electronic warfare
& decoys		MEWSIC[13]
Armament
Aircraft carried
Aviation facilitiesHelicopter hangar sized for Merlin and flight deck sized for CH-47 Chinook
Notes
  • Mission bay under flight deck for 6 TEUs
  • 3–4 boat bays for RHIBs and USVs/UUVs

Designed by Babcock International, it is also marketed under the name Arrowhead 140 and is based on Odense Maritime Technology's (OMT) Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate hull.[18][19] The design has also been sold to Poland for the Miecznik (Swordfish) class and to Indonesia as the Fregat Merah Putih (Red-White Frigate).[20][21][22]

Development

The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) authorised the Global Combat Ship (GCS) programme, which would replace the Royal Navy's thirteen Type 23 frigates. Earlier that year, BAE Systems was awarded a four-year, £127 million contract by the Ministry of Defence to design the new class.[23] It was planned that two variants of the class would be built: five general purpose frigates and eight anti-submarine warfare frigates. There was to be little difference between the two variants, except for the Sonar 2087. Initial expectations were that construction would start in 2016 and the ships would gradually replace the Type 23 frigates by the mid-2030s. The 2015 Defence Review decided that only the eight anti-submarine warfare Type 26 frigates would be ordered and five general purpose frigates to an altogether different design would be ordered to give at least 13 frigates in RN service.[24]

General Purpose Frigate

The resultant General Purpose Frigate (GPFF) was to be a lighter, flexible and more affordable general purpose frigate class.[25][26] According to the 2015 SDSR, the lower cost of these frigates could lead to the Royal Navy acquiring more than five, therefore increasing its overall numbers of frigates and destroyers.[27] During a defence and security lecture in July 2016, GPFF was referred to as the Type 31 frigate by the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip Jones,[28] who also stated that Type 31 frigates could permanently operate "East of Suez"—from the Persian Gulf region to the Asia-Pacific.[28] During the same month, BAE Systems revealed two general purpose frigate designs: the "Avenger class", which was based on the "Amazonas-class/River-class Batch 2 offshore patrol vessel", and the "Cutlass class" that was described as a "significantly stretched and enhanced derivation of the Al Shamikh-class corvette design".[29] The Sunday Times stated that Babcock International and BMT had also submitted one design each.[30][31]

National Shipbuilding Strategy

In October 2017, the Financial Times stated that "..officials inside the Ministry of Defence, the Treasury and Royal Navy have long resented the obligation, set a decade ago, to maintain skills and shipbuilding capacity at BAE's shipyards on the Clyde regardless of naval needs." It quoted Francis Tusa, a defence analyst, who argued that the competition appeared to be designed to break BAE's hold on naval shipbuilding; "Were they to have bid as BAE Systems, they wouldn't win. That is absolutely obvious. The fact is that the Type 31 is slanted probably to exclude any bid that includes BAE."[32] However, this was denied by the MoD, which stated that the competition was designed to improve speed of delivery and reduce cost.[32]

In order to maintain national shipbuilding capacity, the 2017 national shipbuilding strategy proposed ordering an initial batch of five Type 31e frigates with an initial in-service date in 2023, with their cost limited to a maximum of £250m each, to be followed by a second batch order of Type 31 for the Royal Navy.[33] The Type 31 is projected to be built in modular form as with the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers at several commercial shipyards and assembled in one central yard.[34]

Design tenders

Throughout 2017, several designs from different companies were suggested as contenders for the Type 31. BAE submitted two designs, "Avenger", essentially an improved Batch 3 River-class OPV,[35] and "Cutlass", a significantly stretched and enhanced derivation of the Al Shamikh-class corvette.[36] BMT submitted a design called "Venator 110",[37] with Steller Systems putting forward project "Spartan",[38] and Babcock offered a design named "Arrowhead 120".[39]

In October 2017, BAE Systems announced that it would withdraw from the Type 31e competition as a main contractor, citing the capacity constraints of its shipyards on the Clyde, which were full with the work on the new River-class patrol vessels and Type 26 frigates. Instead, BAE announced a partnership with Cammell Laird, whereby BAE would provide its expertise in design and systems integration, while Cammell Laird would be the prime contractor and be responsible for the assembly of the ships at its yard at Birkenhead.[40] The planned design was named "Leander", a reference to three previous classes of ship in the Royal Navy.[41]

In November 2017, it was announced that BMT and Babcock signed a co-operation agreement for the Type 31. They did not choose between their respective "Venator 110" or "Arrowhead 120" designs, but instead would explore their designs to determine the best possible option.[42] In late May 2018, Babcock, partnered with BMT, and Thales Group announced the "Arrowhead 140" design, based on the hull of the Danish Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates.[43]

The competition was suspended on 20 July 2018 due to 'insufficient compliant bids' being received; however, The Times claimed this was due to a "funding crisis".[44] The competition was restarted in August 2018.[45]

Competitive Design Phase selection
SAS Spioenkop, a MEKO A-200 similar to the proposed Atlas Elektronik design

On 10 December 2018, three groups were selected for the competitive design phase:

Both the BAE Systems and Babcock led entrants had already been put forward when the competition was temporarily suspended. The third bid was submitted by the Atlas Elektronik UK-led team. Both the Babcock and Atlas proposals included Ferguson Marine on the Clyde and Harland & Wolff in Belfast.[46] By August 2019, both of these companies announced that they were in financial difficulties.[47][48]

It was announced on 12 September 2019 that the Arrowhead 140 design had been selected for the Type 31 frigate.[49] A contract was formally awarded to Babcock on 15 November 2019, for an average production cost of £250 million per ship and an overall programme cost set to be £2 billion with £1.25 billion value to Babcock.[1]

On 20 January 2020, the Public Accounts Committee was informed by the Permanent Secretary for Defence that the first ship will be launched by 2023, but the in-service date will be in 2027.[50] This is in contrast to earlier statements that the in-service date would be in 2023.[51] In September 2022, John Howie, chief corporate affairs officer for Babcock International, stated that all five ships would be "delivered" to the Navy by 2028,[52] though other sources suggested that the actual "in service" date might be somewhat later.[53]

Arrowhead 140

The AH140 design submitted by Babcock, BMT, and Thales is a development of the Iver Huitfeldt class frigate in service with the Royal Danish Navy.

An engineering paper published in 2022 by the designers of the Type 31 Frigate [Babcock International] stated "...Type 31, and the ARROWHEAD-140 product, are derived from the 'parent' Royal Danish Navy (RDN) IVER HUITFELDT Class of area air warfare Frigates; however, it is not a 'build to print' of the IVER HUITFELDT design. From the 'parent' class basis the entire Type 31 platform has been extensively redesigned to meet Lloyd's Register Naval Ship Rules versus the parent class Det Norske Veritas (DNV) rules. Type 31 is also now redesigned to meet NATO ANEP-77 Naval Ship Code and the stringent UK naval stability requirements as a key element amongst wider compliance with UK DefStan 02-900 General Naval Standard, amid a significant number of other UK naval standards."[54]

Babcock state that the design the Arrowhead 140 enables the hull perform any of a wide range of roles specified by the customer such as: [55]

  • General Purpose - default option (Type 31).
  • Anti-Air Warfare - Leverages the existing anti-air capabilities of the parent design through use of an additional long range radar such as the SMART/L or S1850M enabling wide area air defence and Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD).
  • Anti-Submarine Warfare - additional acoustic hygiene measures such as the rafting of machinery spaces as well as provisions for a towed array sonar to the stern.
  • Mine Countermeasure / Amphibious Warfare / Multi-Mission platform - In 2023 Babcock revealed their Multi-Role Naval Platform (A140 MNP), a variant of the AH140 with mission modularity in mind and likely as a contending design for the Royal Navy's Type 32 frigate program.[56] The design features a stern boat ramp connected to the existing mission bay under the flight deck, a side hydraulic ramp, an enlarged hangar with capacity for up to two Merlin AW101 sized helicopters, directly connected to a full-width mission bay replacing the 32 cell VLS complex amidships capable of supporting 11-metre craft (e.g. USV, RHIBs) or containers.[56] The design is also compatible with SH Defence's CUBE system.[57]

AH140 also features a wide degree of flexibility in the component systems. It is capable of be fitted with a variety of radar masts (fixed or rotating), up to 4 boat bays for RHIBs or small USVs and the customer's choice of medium and small calibre gun options (up-to 127mm in position A and up-to 76mm in position B).[58][59] Additionally, there are several options for vertical launch systems available from a 24-cell CAMM 'mushroom farm' configuration as cost and weight saving option, up to a 32-cell strike length Mark-41 vertical launch system for long range SAM's or SSM's can be positioned amidships.[55] An additional 16-cell Mark-41 complex can be positioned forward of the bridge by removing the gun mount from Position B enabling either ship to carry a 48-cell loadout or to free up the central sections for other facilities such as a full-width mission bay.[59][56] Previous renderings of the Red-White frigate design for Indonesia have also shown an additional 56-cells of an indeterminant type and length can be added to the rear of the main gun.[60]

Characteristics

During a July 2016 Defence Select Committee hearing, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones described the GPFF as "to be a much less high-end ship. It is still a complex warship, and it is still able to protect and defend and to exert influence around the world, but it is deliberately shaped with lessons from wider industry and off-the-shelf technology to make it... more appealing to operate at a slightly lower end of Royal Navy operations."[17] IHS Janes described it as a "credible frigate" that will cover "maritime security, maritime counter-terrorism and counter-piracy operations, escort duties, and naval fire support... [sitting] between the high-end capability delivered by the Type 26 and Type 45, and the constabulary-oriented outputs to be delivered by the five River-class Batch 2 OPVs."[61]

A September 2017 graphic released by the Royal Navy stressed modular adaptability and flexible construction of the design for export opportunities. Core requirements of the Type 31e frigate included a medium calibre gun, point defence systems, hangar and a flight deck for Wildcat or ten tonne helicopter operated by a crew of around 100 with space for 40 more personnel.[62] The British government released a Request for information (RFI) in September 2017, detailing the desired characteristics of the Type 31e. The RFI provided greater details such as a "Medium Calibre Gun" of greater than 57 mm (2.2 in), a point defence anti-air missile system and the optional ability to launch and recover unmanned aerial vehicles.[63] On 1 October 2020, BAE Systems Bofors announced it was under contract to supply five Bofors 57 Mk3 medium calibre guns and ten Bofors 40 Mk4 small calibre guns to the Royal Navy for the first five Type 31 frigates.[64]

In 2019, Forces News reported that the design would have Sea Ceptor missiles, an advanced air and surface surveillance and target indication radar such as the Thales NS110[65] and be able to operate either an AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 or an AgustaWestland Merlin HM2.[66] Other sources suggested that the ship might possess only a limited air defence capability, centred on an eight-cell Sea Ceptor SAM battery, but perhaps incorporating anti-ship Naval Strike Missiles, which could migrate from retiring Type 23 frigates and be fitted on the Type 31.[67] On 2 November 2021, the First Sea Lord Tony Radakin stated that Type 31 frigates will be fitted for but not with the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System.[68] However, on 17 May 2023, First Sea Lord Ben Key stated that Type 31 frigates will be fitted with 32 Mk 41 Strike Length cells.[69]

In June 2023, the completed bow stem of the lead unit, HMS Venturer, revealed that a bow-mounted sonar will not be part of the initial build of the ship.[70]

Ships of the class

The Royal Navy's five ships will be known as the "Inspiration class". In May 2021, the names of the five Type 31 ships were announced by the First Sea Lord; these were selected to represent key themes of the future plans of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines:[71]

As of 2021, all ships are planned to be service by February 2030.[73]

List of ships
Name Pennant No. Builder Ordered Laid down Launched Commissioned Status
 Royal Navy
Venturer[74] Babcock International, Rosyth 15 November 2019 26 April 2022[75] Under construction; first steel cut 23 September 2021[76][77]
Active 16 September 2023[78] Under construction; first steel cut 24 January 2023[79]
Formidable Under construction[80]
Bulldog Announced
Campbeltown Announced
 Indonesian Navy
TBA PAL Indonesia, Surabaya

Babcock International, Rosyth

 16 September 2021 25 August 2023[20] Under construction; first steel cut 9 December 2022[21]
TBA Announced
 Polish Navy
Wicher PGZ Stocznia Wojenna, Gdynia

Babcock International, Rosyth

 4 March 2022 Under construction; first steel cut on 16 August 2023[81][82]
Burza Announced
Huragan Announced

Exports

On 30 June 2021, it was reported that Babcock was in discussions with Greece, Indonesia, Poland and two other countries about potential Type 31 contracts.[19]

On 16 September 2021, Babcock announced that it had signed an agreement with PT PAL Indonesia allowing it to design two Type 31 derivatives for the Indonesian Navy.[83] The class are known locally as "Red White Frigate" (Fregat Merah Putih).[2] The first steel cut of the first Red White frigate were done on 9 December 2022.[21] The first frigate was laid down on 25 August 2023 at PAL Indonesia shipyard in Surabaya.[20]

On 4 March 2022, Babcock announced that it won the frigate competition for the Polish Navy. The Polish Armaments Agency selected Babcock's Arrowhead 140 (AH140) from three different platform design proposals provided by the PGZ-MIECZNIK Consortium ("Miecznik" is Polish for "Swordfish"). In August 2023, the construction of the first in a series of three projekt 106 frigates began at PGZ Stocznia Wojenna.[22]

Following suggestions that the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) might adopt a "Two-Tier" surface combatant mix pairing the tier one Hobart class destroyers and Hunter class frigates with a smaller, less capable, but cheaper class to create an "optimal mix" for the RAN; Babcock Australia has reportedly offered the Arrowhead 140 to meet this possible requirement if officially announced.[84] The Australian Financial Review previously reported that Babcock had already proposed a joint Australian / New Zealand AH140 program to replace their respective ANZAC class frigates.[84][85] In October 2023, Babcock Australasia formally began building its bid for the Royal New Zealand Navy by looking for NZ based small medium enterprises (SMEs).[86]

See also

References
  1. Vavasseur, Xavier (15 November 2019). "UK MoD Formally Awards Type 31 Frigate Contract To Babcock". Naval News. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  2. "Indo Defence 2022: Indonesia prepares to cut steel on first 'Red White' frigate". janes.com. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  3. Donnelly, B. (2022). "Scottish shipyard wins Polish Navy frigate contracts". Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  4. "Royal Navy frigate programme update | Navy Lookout". www.navylookout.com. 20 July 2021.
  5. Allison, George (7 February 2020). "Type 31 Frigate in-service date slips by four years".
  6. "Only seven years to wait until the Royal Navy gets a new frigate | Save the Royal Navy". www.savetheroyalnavy.org. 8 February 2020.
  7. "Ambitious future for Naval Shipbuilding in the UK". gov.uk. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  8. Johnson J. (2022). Type 31 Frigate: Complex Warship Design for a Dynamic Operational Environment. International Naval Engineering Conference and Exhibition. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  9. "Rolls-Royce Seals Propulsion Systems Contract For Royal Navy's Type 31 Frigates". 29 May 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  10. "MAN to supply propulsion for Royal Navy frigates". 27 April 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  11. Chuter, Andrew (3 November 2020). "Viasat to supply Britain's future frigate with satellite communications tech". defensenews.com. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  12. "Contract placed for Type 31 Frigate torpedo defence system". ukdefencejournal.org. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  13. "DE&S awards contract for new Royal Navy electronic warfare capabilities". Defence Equipment and Support. 2022.
  14. "Royal Navy's Type 31 frigates to be fitted with Mk41 vertical launch system". Navy Lookout. 17 May 2023.
  15. Childs, Nick (7 October 2019). "UK's naval balancing act: getting the Type-31 frigate right". iiss.org/. IISS. Retrieved 1 October 2020. as well as up to 24 MBDA Sea Ceptor local-area air-defence missiles
  16. Grotnik, Tomasz (17 July 2013). "New Details On Poland's Miecznik Class Frigates". Naval News. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  17. "Oral evidence: Naval Procurement: Type 26 and Type 45 HC 221". UK House of Commons Defence Select Committee. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  18. Bahtić, F. (2022), One more country is modernizing its naval fleet with Type 31 frigates, retrieved 12 March 2023
  19. Tovey, Alan (30 June 2021). "Babcock in talks to sell 'budget frigates' to five countries". The Telegraph.
  20. Malufti, Fauzan (26 August 2023). "Indonesia Lays Keel Of First 'Red White' Frigate". navalnews.com. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  21. "Pemotongan baja pertama Kapal Fregat Merah Putih telah dilakukan oleh PT PAL". airspace-review.com (in Indonesian). 10 December 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  22. "British company Babcock wins Polish frigate competition". UK Defence Journal. 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  23. "BAE wins £127m contract to design Navy warship". BBC. 25 March 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  24. National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, www.gov.uk
  25. Collingridge, John (7 August 2016). "New frigate order will keep shipyards afloat". The Times.
  26. "Restoring the Fleet: Naval Procurement and the National Shipbuilding Strategy" (PDF). publications.parliament.uk. House of Commons Defence Committee. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  27. "National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015: A Secure and Prosperous United Kingdom" (PDF). Government of the United Kingdom. November 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  28. "First Sea Lord's defence and security lecture to the City of London". UK Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  29. "BAE unveils General Purpose Frigate concepts". IHS Janes. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  30. "Defence in the Media: 7 August 2016". UK Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  31. "New frigate order will keep shipyards afloat". thetimes.co.uk. The Sunday Times. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  32. "BAE Systems takes below-deck role on UK's Type 31 frigate". ft.com. Financial Times. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  33. "National Shipbuilding Strategy: the future of naval shipbuilding in the UK" (PDF). gov.uk. British Ministry of Defence. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2019. We have set a maximum £250 million per ship price for the Type 31e
  34. "UK shipyards: Five frigates at centre of new strategy". BBC News. BBC. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  35. Allison, George (6 September 2017). "The Avenger, a possible yet unpopular contender for the Type 31 Frigate".
  36. Allison, George (5 September 2017). "The BAE Cutlass, could this be the new Type 31 Frigate?".
  37. Allison, George (6 September 2017). "BMT tout Venator-110 as the 'natural design choice' for the Type 31 Frigate".
  38. Allison, George (5 July 2017). "Spartan – A contender for the Type 31 Frigate?".
  39. Allison, George (8 September 2017). "Babcock unveil Arrowhead 120, a contender for the Type 31 Frigate".
  40. "BAE and Cammell Laird to bid for UK's £1.25bn Type 31 frigate programme". Naval Technology. 23 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  41. "BAE Systems teams with Cammell Laird for UK Type 31 frigate build". Naval Today. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  42. George Allison (9 November 2017). "Babcock and BMT team up on Type 31e Frigate bid". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  43. Allison, George (31 May 2018). "Babcock launches 'Team 31', selects Arrowhead 140 design for Type 31e frigate competition".
  44. "Contest to build a 'budget frigate' on hold as MoD runs out of funds". www.thetimes.co.uk. The Times. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  45. Gleeson, Bill (23 August 2018). "Laird's bids for £1.25bn Navy ships contract". Liverpool Echo.
  46. "Three bids for the Royal Navy Type 31e frigate competition formally accepted by the MoD". Save the Royal Navy. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  47. "Clyde shipyard Ferguson set to go into administration". BBC News. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  48. "Iconic Belfast shipyard Harland & Wolff enters administration after 160 years". Belfast Telegraph Digital. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  49. Tovey, Alan (24 August 2019). "Babcock set to build new cut-price frigates and weaken BAE shipbuilding monopoly". Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  50. Lovegrove, Stephen (20 January 2020). "Type 31 Programme Accounting Officer Assessment" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. UK Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  51. Brooke-Holland, Louise (5 February 2020). "Naval shipbuilding: February 2020 update". researchbriefings.parliament.uk. UK parliament library. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  52. "UK: All five Type 31 frigates to be delivered by 2028". 12 September 2022.
  53. "Royal Navy formally announces the names of the 'inspiration class' Type 31 frigates | Navy Lookout". 19 May 2021.
  54. Johnson, J.; Howard, M. (eds.). "Type 31 Frigate: Complex Warship Design for a Dynamic Operational Environment". Conference Proceedings of INEC. doi:10.24868/10665.
  55. "ADAPTABLE CONFIGURATION". www.arrowhead140.com. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  56. "Babcock showcases Arrowhead 140 Multi-Role Naval Platform concept with view to Type 32 frigate competition | Navy Lookout". www.navylookout.com. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  57. "The Cube – SH Defence" (in Danish). Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  58. "Developing the Type 31 frigate | Navy Lookout". www.navylookout.com. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  59. Babcock's Arrowhead 140 Frigate at DSEI 2021, retrieved 2 October 2023
  60. Twitter https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/status/1589949469818294273. Retrieved 2 October 2023. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  61. "Credible choices UK General Purpose Frigate programme" (PDF). IHS Janes. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  62. "Type 31e launch folder" (PDF). Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  63. "Request for information to support Type 31e market testing". gov.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  64. "BAE Systems awarded naval guns contract for U.K.'s Type 31 frigate program". BAE Systems International. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  65. Thomas, Richard (27 December 2019). "Naval review 2019: The never-ending Year of the (Royal) Navy". Shephard News. London. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  66. "Babcock Set For Type 31 Contract To 'Bring Shipbuilding Home'". Forces News. London. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  67. "New missile selection ends UK's anti-ship dilemma, for now". 23 November 2022.
  68. "Royal Navy looking to 'increase lethality' of Type 31 Frigates". UK Defence Journal. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  69. "Royal Navy's Type 31 frigates to be fitted with Mk41 vertical launch system". Navy Lookout. 17 May 2023.
  70. @NavyLookout (14 June 2023). "The bow stem of HMS Venturer moved into the paint hall in Rosyth yesterday. Confirms Type 31 frigates will not have bow-mounted sonar" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 June 2023 – via Twitter.
  71. "Ships to inspire – names of Type 31 frigates revealed". Royal Navy. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  72. "Royal Navy's Type 31 frigates have names; HMS Active recalls her predecessor and Falklands liberation". MercoPress South Atlantic. 19 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  73. "Royal Navy formally announces the names of the 'inspiration class' Type 31 frigates". Navy Lookout. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  74. @NavyLookout (30 July 2021). "Babcock plans to cut steel on HMS..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  75. "Keel laying for Royal Navy's Type 31 frigate showcases Babcock workforce". Babcock International. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  76. "Steel cut for first Type 31 frigate – HMS Venturer | Navy Lookout". 23 September 2021.
  77. "First steel cut for Royal Navy Type 31 programme" (Press release). Government of the United Kingdom. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  78. "Keel laid for second Type 31 frigate – HMS Active". Navy Lookout. 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  79. Hunter, David Sivills-McCann Simon. "First steel cut on Royal Navy's second Type 31 frigate". Forces Network. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  80. "Royal Navy Fleet Poster p.20" (PDF). Navy News. February 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  81. Tayfun Ozberk (10 April 2022). "First Look At Poland's New Miecznik Frigate". www.navalnews.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  82. Staff, Naval News (16 August 2023). "Poland Starts Construction on New Miecznik Frigate". Naval News. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  83. "Babcock sells first new frigate design licence to Indonesia". Babcock International. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  84. Felton, Ben (5 October 2023). "Australian Navy Force Structure Decisions Delayed Again". Naval News. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  85. "Australia-NZ could combine on deal for smaller, missile-laden frigates". Australian Financial Review. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  86. Staff, Naval News (26 October 2023). "Babcock to Offer Arrowhead to Aotearoa New Zealand". Naval News. Retrieved 27 October 2023.

Bibliography
  • Osborne, Richard (August 2021). Osborne, Richard (ed.). "Type 31 Frigates". Warships: Marine News Supplement. 75 (8): 434–440. ISSN 0966-6958.
  • Johnson, J. Howard, M (November 2022). "Type 31 Frigate: Complex Warship Design for a Dynamic Operational Environment" Proceedings of International Naval Engineering Conference (INEC) 2022 doi 10.24868/10665
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.