At a ceremony in Rosyth today, the keel was laid for HMS Active the second ship of the ‘inspiration class’. Here we provide a brief update on the project and present a short animation of the Type 31 in action.
Good progress has been made on constructing the first Type 31 frigate, HMS Venturer at Rosyth. The first 9 sailors of the ship’s company have joined the ship and will standby her in build, developing the standard operating procedures and routines for the new class of ship
Babcock recently unveiled how their Arrowhead 140 product, the parent design for the Type 31 frigate, could be significantly adapted to meet the RN’s Type 32 frigate requirement or modified for export customers.
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Speaking today at the First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference, Admiral Sir Ben Key, confirmed the Type 31 Inspiration Class frigates will be equipped with the Mk41 VLS.
The recent news that some hull blocks for the second Type 31 frigate, HMS Active will be built a Poland has caused some controversy around warship construction work being done overseas. Here we look at this in context and summarise current progress with the Type 31 programme.
To some extent, the capability of the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate cannot be fully appreciated without understanding the background to its development. Public perception has perhaps been over-focused on cost and initial armament, obscuring what has been achieved. In this article, we look at the procurement process and design philosophy that underpins the project.
The Type 31 frigates will introduce two guns types new to Royal Navy service. In the second of two articles examining these weapons, we look at the Bofors 57mm Mk3 gun.
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The Type 31 frigates will introduce two guns types new to Royal Navy service. In the first of two articles examining these weapons, we look at the Bofors 40mm Mk 4 gun.
At a ceremony in Rosyth today, the Defence Secretary (and ‘shipbuilding Tsar’) Ben Wallace conducted the first steel cutting, signalling the start of the Type 31 frigate construction programme.More