"Didn't justify the cost": Extensive upgrades for Royal Navy frigate HMS Iron Duke cancelled amid "review"
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Major upgrades to a Royal Navy frigate have been cancelled due to financial constraints.
HMS Iron Duke, a Type 23 frigate, was due to undergo a conversion project, which has now been shelved. She has been heavily active in Royal Navy operations, regularly being used to shadow Russian warships in the English Channel.
The decision to scrap the plans was revealed in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) annual report and accounts for 2024 to 2025. Listed under the constructive losses section, the project to convert the Duke-class frigate was scrapped at the cost of £4.76m.
Ben Obese-Jecty, Conservative MP for Huntingdon, asked the MoD in a parliamentary written question why the programme was cancelled and what the potential merits are for not upgrading HMS Iron Duke.
Luke Pollard, Labour minister for defence readiness and industry, said the decision was made for financial and logistcal reasons. “The Ministry of Defence keeps all capability programmes under regular review to ensure they remain affordable, deliver value for money, and align with operational priorities,” he added.
“The decision to cancel the Iron Duke conversion programme was based on a comprehensive assessment. Given the platform's remaining Service life, the time required to complete the conversion, and competing operational priorities, the benefits of proceeding did not justify the additional cost or extended period out of service. Resources were therefore re-prioritised to deliver greater operational effect.”
All Type 23 frigates have an end of service date of 2035. Some of these vessels, including HMS Northumberland, have already been decommissioned due to being in a poor state of repair. A lack of manpower is also a concern.
New and advanced frigates, the Inspiration-class Type 31s and City-class Type 26s, are being built and are due to be rolled out in the late 2020s and throughout the 2030s. The Royal Navy faces a challenge until then, previously outlined by former Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, where older capabilities may be unfit for use before new warships are ready.
As revealed by the The National Infrastructure & Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 24-25, several shipbuilding and weapons projects are at risk of not meeting deadlines, and being overbudget.