"Major step" forward for new Portsmouth-bound Type 31 ship HMS Formidable as shipbuilding progress continues
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Specialist shipbuilders have completed a “major step” in producing a new modern frigate for the Royal Navy.
Engineers at Babcock international have advanced the assembly of HMS Formidable, the third of five Type 31 frigates being built. These Inspiration-class frigates are due to be based in Portsmouth once they’re commissioned into the fleet.
The Scotland-based defence giant posted a time-lapse video on social media of the process on social media. “The midship double bottoms for HMS Formidable have been moved inside our Venturer Building – a major step as the next phase of assembly starts for our third Type 31 frigate,” they said. “She has been shifted on 56 axles of self-propelled modular transporters – progress powered by teamwork.”
What are the Type 31 frigates and when will they enter the Royal Navy Fleet
Known as General Purpose frigates, the Type 31s are due to replace their Type 23 counterparts, alongside the submarine-hunting Type 26 warships also being produced in Scotland. They will be tasked with completing various missions including maritime security patrols, diplomatic visits, humanitarian aid missions, escorts for a carrier strike group, intercepting naval crime such as drug smuggling, and other operations.
They will each be 138.7m long, and have a displacement of 7,000 tonnes. Each vessel will have a ship’s company of around 110 sailors, with accommodation for a further 80 personnel. Type 31 frigates will be equipped with a 57mm main gun, two 40mm guns, surface-to-air missiles via the Sea Ceptor system, advanced sensors, the TACTICOS combat management system to identify and scope out threats, and a flight deck capable of operating a Wildcat or Merlin helicopter.
The first Type 31 vessel, HMS Venturer, sailed for the first time in June after her steel was first cut in September 2021. She is expected to be in service by the end of the decade, with all vessels operational by the early 2030s.