Type 32: Everything we know so far about the Royal Navy's new frigate and when it will sail

IT WAS the surprise announcement made during the prime minister’s £16.5bn defence spending splurge in November.
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Now fresh details are beginning to come to light about the Royal Navy’s mysterious new Type 32 frigate programme.

The breed of warship will be the third new frigate being introduced into the fleet, with the first expected to hit the water towards the end of the decade or in the early 2030s.

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It will follow the eight Type 26 and five Type 31 frigates, which have already been agreed by the government.

An image of what the Type 31 frigates will look like. Photo:: Babcock/PA WireAn image of what the Type 31 frigates will look like. Photo:: Babcock/PA Wire
An image of what the Type 31 frigates will look like. Photo:: Babcock/PA Wire

During his speech to MPs, Boris Johnson ‘committed’ to the Type 32 and said the increased funding and warship numbers would ‘restore Britain’s position as the foremost naval power in Europe’.

The news was welcomed by military top brass in Whitehall, with a defence source telling The News: ‘This is the first time that we have grown the frigate and destroyer force in my memory...It’s great news for us.’

But what do we know about the Type 32?

The exact role and make-up of the vessels is yet to be officially announced.

An early image of what the Type 31 general purpose frigate could look like. The Type 32 is expected to take inspiration from the Type 31's design. Photo: BAE SystemsAn early image of what the Type 31 general purpose frigate could look like. The Type 32 is expected to take inspiration from the Type 31's design. Photo: BAE Systems
An early image of what the Type 31 general purpose frigate could look like. The Type 32 is expected to take inspiration from the Type 31's design. Photo: BAE Systems
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It’s understood they will be based on a similar design of the Type 31 – which goes into production later this year.

Speaking to the defence committee, defence secretary Ben Wallace said: ‘The Type 32 we hope will come further along from the Type 31. The Type 31 is only five ships. The Type 32 will hopefully follow a similar track.’

More detail about the ships are expected to be revealed in the integrated review of the UK’s foreign, defence, development and security policy, later this year, or in the update to the 30-year naval ship acquisition plan – which is due to follow the integrate review announcement.

However, defence procurement minister Jeremy Quin – who is in charge of buying the nation's military kit – has already hinted at the ship’s future role.

The Type 26 frigate which is still being pieced together. Photo: PAThe Type 26 frigate which is still being pieced together. Photo: PA
The Type 26 frigate which is still being pieced together. Photo: PA
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Responding to a parliamentary question, the Tory minister claimed the new warships would be deployed as a floating mothership for drone and autonomous tech, which is currently being trialled by the navy.

‘The programme and procurement strategy for Type 32 will be decided following the concept phase, which has not yet been launched,’ he said.

‘Further work is required to develop the operational concept however it is envisioned that Type 32 will be a platform for autonomous systems, adding to the navy’s capabilities for missions such as anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures.’

What are the navy’s plans for the current frigates?

The navy’s current fleet of 13 Type 23 frigates will begin to leave services on an annual basis from 2023.

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However, the first replacement Type 31 and Type 26 won’t be in service until 2027.

It means that the number of frigates will have reduced to nine before the first new ships join the fleet.

Combined with the six Type 45 destroyers, the total strength of the navy’s high-end warships – excluding the two carriers, patrol ships and minehunters – will be 15.

The capability gap has worried former First Sea Lord Admiral Lord Alan West who said: ‘Just 15 major service ships will put us into the second tier of the world’s navies.

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‘Fifteen surface ships means only five on task, as a third will be in maintenance and a third will be training. For a great nation like ours, just five [warships] on task is a national embarrassment and disgrace.’

His fears were echoed by former chief of defence staff Admiral Lord Michael Boyce, who warned: ‘Our number of frigates and destroyers are anorexic, and this has been exacerbated by the Type 45 problem.

‘We embarked upon an eight-ship, Type 26 frigate building programme in 2017, but the first ship, Glasgow, won’t be commissioned until 2027.’

How could the Type 32s be put to use?

The prime minister has already tabled plans to ‘deploy more of our naval assets in the world’s most important regions’.

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A key focus point is the Asia-Pacific. The Royal Navy has already increased its presence in the region.

Last week, a key deal was signed between the British and Japanese which would see tighter alliance between the two nation’s militaries – which includes more frequent exercises.

As part of an expanding ‘global Britain’ the Royal Navy seeks to permanently base frigates overseas.

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It has already trialled this with HMS Montrose, a Type 23 frigate based in the Gulf, with crews rotating every six months.

Last week, the navy signed a multi-million pound deal for three new autonomous minehunters – which could one day operate in the Gulf.

It so, the Type 32 – which is already earmarked to operate as a drone HQ – could well be in a position to take a permanent base in the region, supporting mine clearance efforts, currently conducted by dedicated minehunting crews.

But the vessels could also be used as part of Britain’s future carrier strike group, supporting both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

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