'Challenge' awaits Portsmouth when new Type 31 ships arrive amid Royal Navy aims to 'accelerate' procurement

Maintaining five new and advanced warships in Portsmouth will be a “challenge” that the city will rise to, a defence director has said.

Stephen Lee, operations director at UK Docks Marine Services in Gosport, said plans need to be put in place for the arrival of the Type 31 frigates. A total of five Inspiration-class vessels will call HMNB Portsmouth their home from the early 2030s.

Speaking at the Seaworks 2026 conference in Southampton on June 9, Mr Lee said preparations need to be detailed ahead of their arrival. He told The News: “It’s significantly important you have that infrastructure there, and accessibility to the skillsets and resources you need. More than anything, you’ve got to be able to get to the vessel.

“Without that investment, it’ll be a challenge, but we have to remember that due to Portsmouth’s history, none of this is new. It’s not too many years ago we had the size and scale of a naval force that used to operate out of the city. The physicality of the infrastructure is there, but it’s more about the resources being there to support the vessels and the assets when they’re in service.”

UK Docks, based at the Victoria Quay boatyard, works closely with the Royal Navy as part of the £283.5m Boats In Service Support programme. The company won three contracts in the programme worth £84m, and its tasked with maintaining and looking after 194 Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels. This includes overseeing the Vahana boats and Ministry of Defence police craft. This will run until 2033.

No companies have been chosen to maintain the Type 31s in Portsmouth yet. The General Purpose vessels, alongside their Type 26 counterparts, will replace the aging Type 23 frigates. They’ll be tasked with undertaking missions including interception patrols, intelligence gathering, defence engagement, humanitarian support, and other operations.

Sign up for The Week in Defence with Freddie Webb - our newsletter rounding up the sector’s must-read stories

HMS Active, the second of the quintet, took to the water for the first time earlier this year. Work is still ongoing to fit out the inaugural ship, HMS Glasgow, in Scotland. As well as these vessels, Project Bentham promises major upgrades to HMNB Portsmouth’s infrastructure. This planned investment comes alongside the Royal Navy’s aim to enhance its ability to acquire and use more advanced technologies.

Speaking to business leaders at the conference, Ashlin Humphreys, commercial lead for navy command, said: “We’re becoming an organisation which is looking to accelerate procurement. We’re doing this through a variety of pathways. We’re looking to reduce some of the bureaucracy internally, to help us maintain an advantage.”

Ms Humphreys added that the force is looking to create partnerships and support businesses through early and sustained market engagement, clear demand signals, and innovative innovation pipelines. “Through all this, it will enable us to deliver faster capabilities, utilise accelerated procurement pathways, and create faster acquisition pipelines from start to finish,” she said.

“We’re looking to break those barriers where we can to give you the opportunity to develop and deliver.”