Defence Secretary Sir has unveiled an
ambitious new National Shipbuilding Strategy which meets the
challenge set by Sir John Parker last November and sets out plans
for the first batch of Type 31e frigates.
Sir John Parker’s independent report into British naval
shipbuilding proposed far-reaching recommendations to
transform the UK maritime industry and boost the prosperity
of regions, shipyards and maritime supply chains across the
country.
Today’s Strategy sees the Government accept Sir John’s
recommendations and step up to what he called a prospective
‘renaissance’ in British shipbuilding. Building on the
Government’s industrial strategy, it outlines an ambition to
transform the procurement of naval ships, make the UK’s maritime
industry more competitive, grow the Royal Navy fleet by the
2030s, export British ships overseas, and boost innovation,
skills, jobs, and productivity across the UK.
It announces the government’s plan to procure new Type 31e
General Purpose Frigates. A price cap has been set of no more
than £250M each for the first batch of five frigates. In line
with standing UK policy on warships they will be built in the UK.
They could be built in a way which could see them shared between
yards and assembled at a central hub. The first ships are set to
be in service by 2023. Shipyards will be encouraged to work with
global partners to ensure the vessel is competitive on the export
market.
Defence Secretary Sir said:
“This new approach will lead to more cutting-edge ships for the
growing Royal Navy that will be designed to maximise exports and
be attractive to navies around the world.
“Backed up by a commitment to spend billions on new ships, our
plan will help boost jobs, skills, and growth in shipyards and
the supply chain across the UK.”
The Strategy sets out the government’s commitment to work with
industry to reinvigorate and maximise export success. The
Type 31e will be designed to meet the needs of the Royal Navy and
with the export market in mind from the beginning. This could see
industry’s customer become not only the Royal Navy but for the
navies of Britain’s allies and partners.
The MOD is committed to new ships for the Royal Navy through its
rising budget and £178bn equipment plan. In July, at BAE’s
Govan shipyard, the Defence Secretary cut steel for the
first of eight Type 26 frigates, HMS Glasgow. The £3.7 billion
contract for the first three, the largest for naval ships this
decade, will secure hundreds of high skilled jobs on the Clyde
until 2035 and hundreds more in the supply chain across the UK.
Sir John Parker said:
“I am very impressed by the courage that the Secretary of State
has shown – and the Government – in adopting my recommendations,
which were very extensive, and will change the shape of naval
shipbuilding over the country in the future.
“The next challenge is to come up with a world-leading design;
one that can satisfy the needs of the Royal Navy and the export
market. We have the capability to do that, the will is there and
it is a tremendous opportunity for UK shipbuilding. I see no
reason why industry will not rise to that challenge. There is an
incredible keenness from around the country, from Scotland to
Merseyside, to the South West and over to Belfast.”
The option to build the Type 31e frigates in blocks reflects how
the biggest ship ever built for the Royal Navy, the 65,000-tonne
HMS Queen Elizabeth, was constructed. The aircraft carrier was
built in blocks by over 10,000 people in six main British cities.
She was then assembled in Rosyth, before commencing sea trials in
June and arriving in her home port of Portsmouth last month.
Her sister ship HMS Prince of Wales, built in the same way, is
also now structurally complete and will be officially named in a
ceremony on 8 September. This method has also been tried and
tested on the UK’s new polar research ship, RRS Sir David
Attenborough, with shipyards across the country collaborating in
the block build.
The Strategy is an important part of the government’s broader
industrial strategy that focuses on increasing economic growth
across the country and investing in a more skilled
workforce.
The Government will work together with industry to provide the
certainty and support the need to become internationally
competitive. Such a move will not only boost the British
economy and jobs, but it will also help to create a more
stable and well-protected world.
