Construction date for Royal Navy Common Combat Vessels and Type 91, 92, 93, and 94 ships 'not yet determined'
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Pressure is mounting on the force to develop the new vessels as the fleet continues to shrink
Starting timelines to build new modern ships for the Royal Navy have not been decided yet.
Minister for defence industry and readiness Luke Pollard said the construction dates for the new Common Combat Vessels (CCVs) and autonomous ships have “not yet been determined”. The are due to replace the Daring-class Type 45 destroyers and be rolled out in the 2030s, according to the Defence Investment Plan (Dip).
Mr Pollard said the Dip announced at least £1.3bn worth of investment for the hybrid navy, where conventional warships will be supplemented by autonomous systems and un-crewed vessels. The new capabilities include Type 91 un-crewed missile platforms, Type 92 underwater sense platforms, Type 93 extra-large uncrewed underwater vessels (XLUUV), and Type 94 uncrewed radar platforms, in addition to autonomous aviation assets.
“The construction schedules for those platforms have not yet been determined,” the Labour defence minister added in a parliamentary written question. “The future class of Common Combat Vessels (CCV) are expected from the early 2030s. These new technologies will complement the uncrewed mine hunting capabilities, aviation, and surface vessels already in service with the Royal Navy.”
In response to a follow-up question by Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty, Mr Pollard said specific in-service dates will not be announced “to avoid revealing elements of the Fleet's long-term schedule”. “However, the Royal Navy continues to ensure that it has sufficient assets available to deliver operational outputs,” he said.
Mr Pollard said the Type 90 series are due in the early 2030s, “but no specific Service Entry dates have yet been set for these platforms”.
The Royal Navy now has just five frigates after HMS Richmond and Iron Duke were retired, though some of the Type 45 destroyers are going to sea more often. Other ships are also being constructed to supplement a shrinking fleet. This includes five Type 31 General Purpose Frigates, eight Type 26 submarine-hunting frigates, and new Fleet Solid Ships. The first of these vessels will be readied by 2028 at the earliest, though most will be commissioned in the 2030s.
CCVs were announced and previous plans for a Type 83 destroyer were scrapped. Drawings and designs are being commissioned for new, un-crewed, adaptable drone-compatible ships. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) previously said the new vessels will “act as a control hub for uncrewed systems – extending the Navy’s reach, resilience and firepower without a proportional increase in crew or cost”.
They added: “Rather than concentrating capability in a small number of large, expensive ships, the Royal Navy’s shift to a hybrid navy will mix crewed and uncrewed capabilities and be more suited to the pace and nature of modern warfare. The funding announced in the DIP allows the National Armaments Director Group to commence the design work that will underpin the fundamental shift in how to deliver Air Defence at and from the sea.”
Defence secretary Dan Jarvis said: “These CCVs will provide our dedicated sailors with hybrid ships that are designed and built for the increasing threats we face. Developed with exceptional British innovators, the new ships will be British-built, supporting jobs across the nation and giving the Royal Navy a capability built for modern warfare.”