Decisions by Sweden and Denmark on potential orders for frigates are expected sooner rather than later, according to senior Babcock International executives.
The Royal Danish Navy is seeking four new frigates, while the Swedish Navy is considering the U.K. defence firm as one of two shortlisted bidders for up to seven similar-sized ships.
Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 design is being used as the basis for the Royal Navy’s five new Type 31 frigates being built at the firm’s shipyard in Rosyth; the first-in-class HMS Venturer has been floated off and is now in dry dock being fitted out.
Construction of ship two, the future HMS Active, is well under way in the build hall and the first units of the third ship are beginning to be laid alongside her; all five ships are set to be delivered by 2030.
In conversation with Navy Leaders and other selected journalists yesterday (Thursday), Babcock CEO David Lockwood indicated a decision on whether its Arrowhead 140 design would win the Danish and Swedish contracts was likely to be not far off.
He commented: “We’ve been talking about the Danish and Swedish programme for at least a year. These are very important campaigns for us; they are still live campaigns for us… We believe the Type 31 is the best fit for what they want. We are confident, but not complacent.”
Speaking about potential timeframes for a decision, he added: “All navies are realising they are under-capitalised and desire delivery and that drives more rapid decision-making than we have seen… I think within this financial year, quite possibly sooner than that.”
And he also claimed: “I believe the Type 31 could be the dominant platform… outside the US.”
And Babcock’s Chief Executive, Marine and director of the Type 31 programme, former Second Sea Lord in the Royal Navy, Admiral Sir Nick Hine claimed: “Criteria always used to be performance, cost, time. That has shifted: It’s now time, cost, performance.”
He added: “Type 31 is a ship that navies need: affordable, available and adaptable.”
- You can read more details about the Type 31 programme on the Babcock website