Royal Navy: Fascinating details revealed about mysterious Type 83 destroyers which will move to "digital age"

Updates on the mysterious Type 83 destroyers were unveiled at the CNE 2025 conference in Farnborough on May 21. The project, under the Future Air Dominance System (FADS) programme, is currently in the concept phase and will see new ships replace the Type 45 Daring-class vessels.

It’s hoped the new destroyers will be introduced from 2035 onwards. Speaking to guests at the conference, Commodore Michael Wood, Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the programme in Navy Command, said the ships will not simply be an upgrade of the Type 45s, but an evolution of them.

As reported in Naval News, he said: “This is going to be a very different platform from Type 45. We are not building Type 46. We’re moving to a digital age. We’re moving into the electronic propulsion age. We’re moving into the laser weapon age. Electronic attacks will be important, and we’re going to rely very heavily on automation and lean crewing.”

What could be fitted to the Type 83 destroyers

Naval News reports the Type 83 destroyers will be part of introducing a Maritime Integrated Air and Missile Defence and Strike (M-IAMDS) capabilities into the Royal Navy. Part of the programme will see Force Threat Evaluation and Weapon Assignment (FTEWA) functionality be installed on the ships, which will be powered by AI and machine learning.

This system will be able to link ship combat systems together and decide the best way to use sensors and other components to deal with attacks from multiple threats. Cdre Wood said this was a “system of systems” and would allow personnel to react quickly at a computer machine speed of warfare.

The destroyers are expected to have smaller crews than vessels of the past and be fitted alongside autonomous capabilities. They will be between 145 metres and 165 metres long, and displace between 6,000 tonnes and 10,000 tonnes. The number of destroyers set to be build has yet to be given.

Naval News said the ships could be fitted with multiple MK 41 vertical launch silos, capabilities to fire hypersonic missiles, a 57mm medium calibre gun, multi-mode sensor capabilities, directed energy weapons (DEW), trainable launchers for decoy missiles, an app-based combat management system and a power management and propulsion system able to support high powered radars and energy weapons.

How is the Type 83 destroyer project progressing?

Cdre Wood said funds have been earmarked for demonstrators, assessments, evaluations and market engagement to advance the programme. The last official updates came from the minister of defence procurement, Maria Eagle, in March. With the Strategic Defence Review published last Monday (June 2), further information could be released soon.

The Labour MP for Liverpool Galston previously said: “The next stage of the Type 83 Destroyer programme, which is one element of the Future Air Dominance System (FADS) programme, will be announced following the completion of the Strategic Defence Review.”

An earlier response said: “The Type 83 Destroyer will be the core of the Future Air Dominance System (FADS) programme, which has commenced its concept phase. FADS will replace the UK's present Maritime Air Defence Capability vested in the Type 45 Destroyer Programme.”