Royal Navy: Mysterious Type 83 destroyers project reaches concept phase in step to replace Type 45 warships

The project to produce new air defence ships for the Royal Navy is continuing to progress. Labour minister for defence procurement, Maria Eagle, published the update when responding to a parliamentary written question by Conservative Mark Francois.

Ms Eagle 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.”

As previously reported in The News, it’s estimated that shipbuilding work to produce Type 83 vessels is expected to continue into the mid-2040s. Despite the project’s progress, it’s still unclear how these new warships will be used and what their capabilities will be.

Ms Eagle previously said the project will contribute significantly to the UK’s “thriving shipbuilding sector”, creating jobs throughout the supply chain from design to repair, systems and integration. She added: “It is not yet possible to confirm where these ships will be built as it is subject to due commercial process, but the build of the Type 83 will secure work until at least the mid-2040s, depending on the number of platforms built.

“Analysis of supply chain involvement and social value will be conducted during this phase. Social value and sovereign considerations will inform any subsequent investment.”

What is the new Type 83 destroyer and what could it look like?

The UK Defence Journal reports the new Type 83s could potentially be larger than their Type 45 counterparts. They are also expected to fill multi-purpose tasks for the Royal Navy, rather than being specifically designed for anti-aircraft warfare - although the latter will probably be their primary purpose. The Defence Journal said a concept picture released by BAE Systems shows a ship armed with 128 cells for Vertical Launch missiles, similar to a Ticonderoga-class cruiser.

Type 83 warships were first mentioned Defence Command Paper published in 2021 - titled Defence in a Competitive Age. Weapons that could be utilised on the vessels include missiles, but potentially energy weapons, autonomous systems, and measures to combat drones and similar aircraft. With the programme in the concept phase, this could be subject to change.