BAE Systems has landed a contract for the delivery of multi-purpose gun systems for the Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigates that are being delivered by main contractor Babcock.
BAE Systems itself is the main contractor on the service’s Type 26 frigate program.
The latest contract award will see BAE produce Bofors 40 Mk4 and Bofors 57 Mk3 naval guns for the general-purpose frigates.
The agreement, through a contract with Babcock International, will supply the Royal Navy with a set of gun systems for its fleet of five ships, with the first ship expected to go into service in 2027.
The contract includes five Bofors 57 Mk3 medium caliber guns and ten Bofors 40 Mk4 small caliber guns. Both close-in weapon systems are designed to protect the ships against modern and future complex threats.
BAE Systems’ scope of work for the Type 31 program also includes services, tools, spares, documentation and support.
Both naval gun systems will be manufactured at BAE Systems’ facility in Karlskoga, Sweden, with deliveries expected to take place in 2023 and 2024.
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. 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.
