Royal Navy Type 31 project could face delays and cost too much - how close are Portsmouth ships being built
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Major delays and costing problems could hit an important Royal Navy shipbuilding programme.
The Type 31 project, which will see modern frigates operate out of HMNB Portsmouth, is in danger of slipping its targets. According to the National Infrastructure & Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024 to 2025, the scheme - organised by Babcock International - was graded red.
Each project is graded on a red, amber and green scale. The colour determines - as of the time when the grades were finalised - if the scheme is likely to be completed on time and to its allocated financial budget. Some programmes are exempt for security reasons.
According to the report, the red category means that a programme has major issues over schedule, budgets, and quality - usually meaning that successful delivery needs “re-scoping”. Out of the 45 total MoD projects across the armed forces, three of them were Green, 27 amber, and 10 red.
A Babcock spokesperson said the programme will hit all of its requirements. They said: “The five ship build programme remains on track to be delivered to the customer within a decade from programme award. As part of the concluded Dispute Resolution Process with the Ministry of Defence there was an agreed programme restructure which was reported in our FY24 results.”
How close are Type 31 ships to being in the Royal Navy fleet?
Luke Pollard MP, minister for defence readiness and industry, responded to questions about why various procurement projects were facing difficulties. “Delivery Confidence Assessments reflect that moment in time and will change throughout a programme's lifecycle,” he said.
“An assessment of red does not mean that the programme is undeliverable, but that there are management interventions required as a priority in order to increase the likelihood of being able to deliver to approved time, performance and cost. The National Armaments Director holds all the levers of procurement, enabling the necessary interventions to be applied in support of programmes assessed as red.”
The Babcock spokesperson said the build programme is “well underway” for the five frigates. These Inspiration-class vessels, due to replacement their Type 23 counterparts, will fulfil a general purpose role. They’ll be tasked with security patrols, intelligence gathering assignments, diplomatic missions, anti-drug smuggling operations, humanitarian aid tasks, and other exercises.
The first of the ships, HMS Venturer, is undergoing her final fit out after being at sea earlier this year. HMS Active is scheduled to float off in 2026. HMS Formidable has had her steel cut, with her keel being laid in early December. The steel is due to be cut for HMS Bulldog in 2026, with planning work currently underway for the fifth ship, HMS Campbelltown.