Babcock has laid the keel of HMS Formidable, the third Type 31 frigate being built for the Royal Navy at its Rosyth shipyard.
And it also announced a new contract with HII to build complex submarine assemblies for Virginia-class Block VI fast-attack submarines for the U.S. Navy at the same yard.
A ceremony to mark the keel-laying was held yesterday (Tuesday) in the Rosyth build hall, where the first modular section of the ship sat alongside the second Type 31 being built there, HMS Active.
Chief Executive of Babcock Marine Sir Nick Hine remarked: “This is an important week in the history of Rosyth.
“As the keel of HMS Formidable is laid in this vital and fast-paced U.K. defence programme, our advanced design and build capability will also now support the delivery of the U.S. Virginia class submarines — a critical component of the AUKUS trilateral partnership between Australia, the U.S. and the U.K.
“Our workforce here in Rosyth is delivering some of the most advanced international defence programmes, driving economic growth and providing highly skilled jobs to our surrounding communities here in Scotland.”
Babcock’s Royal Navy shipbuilding programme is scheduled to deliver five T31s within a decade, having been awarded the £1.25 billion design and build contract in 2019.
In May this year the first ship in the T31 programme, HMS Venturer, was rolled out of the build hall. She has since been floated off, had her mast attached, and is now undergoing final fitting out.
Within the first six months of next year, the first steel is expected to be cut on the fourth Type 31 frigate, HMS Bulldog, and the second ship, HMS Active, is scheduled to be floated off.
Royal Navy, Senior Naval Officer for HMS Venturer and T31 Ships Commander Thomas Hetherington added: “HMS Formidable’s keel laying ceremony marks a significant milestone in the T31 Project’s relentless progress in delivering the Royal Navy’s Inspiration Class to operations.
“The ceremony blends the tradition of marking the birth of a ship with the undoubted technological advances that have been used in designing and building her for the extremely complex environment she will sail in.”
Meanwhile, the U.K. Government’s Secretary of State for Defence John Healey called news of Babcock’s U.S. Navy submarine contract with HII “another vote of confidence in the workers and skills of Scotland’s defence industry” and added: “This expanded partnership to deliver for AUKUS submarines announced today demonstrates that the U.K. is becoming a global leader for advanced marine and submarine engineering.”
Chris Kastner, HII president and CEO dubbed it “a significant next step in delivering on our joint commitment to enhance both organizations’ capabilities, for the benefit of U.S. and U.K. programmes.”
He explained: “Leveraging Babcock’s reach and expertise in the U.K. will reinforce our supplier base, strengthen submarine production in the U.S., and support the trilateral AUKUS partnership.”
CEO of Babcock International Group David Lockwood noted: “Babcock’s advanced manufacturing expertise has enabled us to build on our established missile tube assembly capability, to deliver additional complex assemblies for the US submarine fleet.
“This expansion of our strategic partnership with HII enables us to optimize our joint capabilities for the benefit of the wider AUKUS security partnership.”
- You can read more details on the Babcock website