The UK defense ministry and defense contractor Babcock have signed an official contract for the construction of the new Type 31 frigates for the Royal Navy.
The Type 31 general-purpose frigate program will provide the UK with a fleet of five ships, at an average production cost of £250 million per ship.
The formal contract award follows the announcement earlier this year that Babcock’s Team 31 had been selected as preferred bidder following a competitive process.
Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 proposal for the frigate program is based on the Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates Odense Maritime Technology (OMT) designed for the Royal Danish Navy.
The frigates will be assembled at Babcock’s Rosyth facility, and involve supply chains throughout the UK, in line with the UK’s shipbuilding strategy, the company said in a regulatory filing.
Work on the fleet of five ships will begin immediately following formal contract award, with manufacture starting in 2021 and concluding in 2027.
The team responsible for the delivery of the frigates includes OMT, Thales, BMT, Harland and Wolff and Ferguson Marine, with Babcock as the prime contractor.
