"Substantial investment" to make sure Type 31 Royal Navy ships are built on time - when will they enter fleet
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Extensive measures are in place to make sure new Royal Navy ships are built on time, a defence minister has said.
Luke Pollard MP said the programme for the Type 31 vessels will progress without any complications. The General Purpose frigates will be based in Portsmouth once they are commissioned into the fleet.
Mark Francois, Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, raised concerns about the deliver of the programme, costs, and integration risks. Responding to separate parliamentary written questions, Mr Pollard said: “The Type 31 frigate programme will deliver a maritime security capability at a value for money price, in a timescale that compares favourably with other international warship procurement programmes.
“In common with other enterprises, the T31 programme is experiencing inflationary pressures, which are understood and remain in line with the latest plans and forecasts. The Red delivery confidence assessment rating reflects this impact and on completion of full assessment and assurance, formal updates will be provided through official channels at the appropriate time.”
Five general purpose frigates are being built for the Royal Navy. They are 455ft long and weigh 5.700 tonnes, costing £250m each. Due to replace their Type 23 counterparts, they will be tasked with various operations including intercepting and disrupting illegal activities at sea, gathering intelligence, conducting defence engagement, and providing humanitarian support.
The five Inspiration-class warships - HMS Venturer, Active, Formidable, Bulldog, and Campbelltown - are built by the defence giant Babcock International at its shipyard in Scotland. HMS Venturer was unveiled to the public in May, and is currently in the fitting out process. It has been reported that a £1bn export deal for British warships to be produced for Denmark is being ironed out.
Mr Pollard, Labour, has given the latest times for when the warships will be ready. He said: “HMS Venturer is the first in Class of the T31 and is currently scheduled to be in service by the end of the decade. All five of the T31 ships are planned to be in service by the early 2030s and are forecast to meet the Key User Requirements.
“Three ships are currently in build; HMS Venturer, which was floated off a launch barge in June 2025, HMS Active and HMS Formidable. There has been substantial investment in risk mitigation.
“For example: significant investment in Babcock’s facilities at Rosyth, which include digitising the shipyard, new manufacturing facilities, and a new purpose-built Assembly Hall. In addition, there has been the generation of a Shore Integration facility at Portsdown Technology Park, to mitigate risks to the integration of the combat system.”