On December 9, 2025, Babcock International Group announced the keel-laying ceremony of the third Type 31 frigate, the future HMS Formidable, in Rosyth facility in Scotland.
Babcock press release
We marked two major milestones on Tuesday at our Rosyth facility in Scotland. As another significant moment was delivered on the Type 31 (T31) programme with the keel laid for HMS Formidable, a new contract was announced with HII, the United States largest military shipbuilder and a global leader in maritime unmanned autonomous platforms, to support the US Navy’s Virginia class submarines from the site.
As part of the leading frigate programme, that will see five T31s delivered to the UK’s Royal Navy within 10 years of contract signing, the keel laying ceremony signalled the programme’s strong momentum and reinforced Rosyth’s role as a critical sovereign capability.
Celebrated with our workforce, the Royal Navy and UK and international guests, the first modular section of the ship was carefully positioned on top of a coin, a traditional symbol of good fortune for the ship and her crew.
Earlier on Tuesday, we announced an expansion to our strategic partnership with HII that will see us put our advanced manufacturing expertise to use, supporting complex submarine assemblies for the US Virginia-class submarine programme from Rosyth, further growing support for the US submarine fleet from the Scottish site that already delivers missile tube assemblies for US and UK programmes.
Sir Nick Hine, Chief Executive of Babcock’s Marine sector, said: “This is an important week in the history of Rosyth. As the keel of HMS Formidable is laid in this vital and fast-paced UK defence programme, our advanced design and build capability will also now support the delivery of the US Virginia class submarines – a critical component of the AUKUS trilateral partnership between Australia, the US and the UK.
“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.”
Commander Thomas Hetherington, Royal Navy, Senior Naval Officer – HMS Venturer and T31 Ships, said: “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. The third of five ships, HMS Formidable will help modernise the Royal Navy’s frigate fleet and enhance the lived experience for our sailors as they continue to deliver on operations across the globe.”
Steve Ranyard, DE&S Type 31 Team Leader, said: “Today’s keel laying marks another key milestone towards the Royal Navy’s future capabilities. This demonstrates the excellent progress we’re making in delivering these versatile frigates. The Type 31 programme is not only strengthening our naval fleet but also driving growth and prosperity across the UK’s maritime sector.”
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About Type 31/ Inspiration-class frigate
The Type 31 / Arrowhead 140 is based on the proven Iver Huitfeldt-class of frigate of the Royal Danish Navy, designed by OMT, and adapted to Royal Navy requirement by Babcock and BMT. Thales will supply the combat management system of the Type 31. The frigates will be assembled at Babcock’s Rosyth facility, and involve supply chains throughout the UK, in line with the UK’s shipbuilding strategy.
Type 31 / Inspiration-class frigate main specifications:
| Displacement | 5,700 tons |
| Length | 138.7 m (455 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power | 4 × Rolls Royce/MTU 20V 8000 M71 (8.2 MW) diesel engines 4 × Rolls Royce/MTU 16V 2000 M41B (900 kW) generators |
| Propulsion | CODAD configuration, two shafts |
| Speed | 28+ knots |
| Endurance | 9,000 nautical miles |
| Complement | 80 to 100 sailors (accommodation for up to 160) |
Type 31 / Inspiration-class frigate weapons systems:
- TACTICOS combat management system
- 12x VLS for CAMM / Sea Ceptor surface to air missiles
- 1x 57mm (Bofors 57Mk3) main gun
- 2x 40mm (Bofors 40Mk4) secondary guns
- Hangar and flight deck for a Wildcat or Merlin helicopter
