British Ministry of Defense confirms target of 8 Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy | Sea and Navy

It is the difficult equation between export support and the need to ensure the national needs of the Royal Navy. The Norwegian contract which saw the selection of the Type 26 frigate model by Norway is obviously a great relief for British industry, but it is also a short-term headache for the government. Indeed, to guarantee the delivery times agreed to Norway, frigates under construction in Scotland by BAE Systems on behalf of the Royal Navy must be redirected to this export contract. And this while the Royal Navy is going through a serious availability crisis and an insurmountable gap ahead in its number of first-rate frigates. The second frigate in the series, HMS Cardiff, was launched a month ago.

 

 

Luke Pollard, the Minister for Defense Procurement, who met his Norwegian counterpart last month, confirmed that “slots” intended for the Royal Navy would be allocated to Norway, without specifying the number of frigates. In a written response to Conservative parliamentarian Ben Obese-Jecty, he nevertheless added that 8 frigates would be well built for the Royal Navy in addition to a minimum of 5 for the Norwegian navy, as noted by the UK Defense Journal.

Because for several months, and while the Starmer government’s future Defense Investment Plan (DIP) has been constantly postponed, observers have expressed doubts about the final acquisition target of T26 for the Royal Navy. Assuming that two frigates, originally intended for the Royal Navy, could end up in Norwegian hands, the absence of an additional replacement order for the Royal Navy began to sow doubt. Moreover, despite Luke Pollard’s written response, no order has yet been signed. A situation which contrasts with, for example, Italy’s choice to very quickly replace its two PPAs sold to Indonesia with a similar number of ships. Britain’s finances are notoriously in the red, putting the DIP at risk, which could be unveiled this month.

 

 

In the meantime, the situation is tough for the Royal Navy, which will need its eight Type 26s and its 5 Type 31s in the future. Only 5 Type 23 frigates are still operational and the availability of Type 45 destroyers is just starting to increase. We remember that at the start of the Iranian crisis, it had been the cross and the banner for the United Kingdom to deploy just one of its six anti-aircraft destroyers. Today, HMS Dragon is on a mission in the Middle East in support of the French Charles de Gaulle carrier group. HMS Duncan is the only combat ship escorting the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, deployed in the North Sea. And this while the two units were engaged in an anti-submarine warfare exercise… With the impromptu stop of the HMS Prince of Wales in Norway for repairs, it is the HMS Duncan which is responsible for visiting Denmark, one of the next big prospects in the naval field where Babcock is the favorite with the Type 31 and Naval Group with the FDI.

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