Royal Navy: How many active Type 23 frigates are there? MoD confirms dates for Type 26 and 31 replacements

Type 23 Duke-class vessels are soon to be replaced by more advanced Type 26 and 31 variants. The ships, commissioned between 1989 and 2002, are aging out and many of them are needing maintenance to sustain them for future operations. Some of them have already been decommissioned.

Liberal Democrat MP Helen Maguire, who previously served in the British Army with the Royal Military Police, asked the Ministry of Defence (MoD) how many Type 23 ships the Royal Navy has, the number which are not fit for purpose, and how many days they have been out of service. Minister for defence procurement, Maria Eagle, confirmed the number of active vessels.

How many active Type 23 frigates are there?

She said: “The Royal Navy operates eight Type 23 Frigates, and as of April 2, 2025, six Type 23 frigates are at readiness and available for operations. Each ship follows a normal operating cycle, going through different readiness levels based on their schedules and maintenance.”

One of the frigates which has been taken off active duties is HMS Iron Duke, with the Plymouth-based vessel entering a “major maintenance period”. Ms Eagle, the Labour MP for Liverpool Garston, also detailed long HMS Westminster, Argyll and Northumberland have been decommissioned for.

“In addition to the eight operational Type 23 frigates, the Royal Navy has three that are in the process of being decommissioned,” she added. “It has been 321 days since the decision to retire HMS Westminster and HMS Argyll, and 133 days for HMS Northumberland. The retirement announcements are part of the UK’s plan to modernise its surface fleet.”

Defence secretary John Healey said in parliament in November 2024 that HMS Northumberland had “structural damage which makes her uneconomical to repair”.

What are the new Type 26 and 31 ships and when will they enter the fleet?

There are eight new Type 26 frigates being built at BAE Systems’ Govan and Scotsoun shipyards in Glasgow, Scotland. The flexible and advanced warships will primarily be used for anti-submarine warfare and protecting the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent and the Carrier Strike Group.

They will also be used in general purpose operations for the Royal Navy, and are expected to have a service life of 25 years. Type 31 Inspiration-class ships, being built by Babcock international at the Rosyth dockyard in Fife, Scotland,

The five general purpose frigates will be anticipated to carry out a range of operations including defence engagement, humanitarian support and intercepting criminals at sea. The ships will have a top speed of more than 26 knots – equivalent to nearly 50kmph – and accommodate around 100 personnel.

Ms Eagle reaffirmed the dates for when these ships will enter the fleet. She added: “The Royal Navy will replace the Type 23 Frigates with new Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates. All eight world-class Type 26 ships are scheduled to enter service commencing from 2029, with all five Type 31 ships expected to be operational by the early 2030s.”