Babcock has announced that it is to head up a team of leading industry partners in a bid for the Ministry of Defence’s new £1.25 billion Type 31e general purpose light frigate programme.
Babcock and Thales will lead partners BMT, Harland & Wolff and Ferguson Marine to form ‘Team 31’.
Babcock will take on the role of programme lead, with Thales having overall responsibility for the development of the Mission System solution. Babcock and BMT will work on the development of designs for both naval and commercial vessels.
It is envisaged that the link up will enable the economic benefits of the programme to be shared across the UK, with Ferguson Marine on the Clyde, Harland & Wolff in Belfast and the Babcock facilities in Fife and Devon all having key roles to play.
Babcock CEO Archie Bethel said: “Team 31 will allow Babcock and Thales to take forward the key lessons from the Aircraft Carrier Alliance and apply them in a new and highly capable team with Harland & Wolff, BMT and Ferguson Marine.
“We firmly believe that our combined skills can deliver an affordable and effective Type31e Frigate programme for the Royal Navy and offer something new and exciting in the export market. With a high degree of UK content and the use of innovative technologies, we believe that our approach will deliver real benefits to UK plc.”
Victor Chavez, CEO of Thales UK said: “Thales UK is delighted to be working with Babcock and our partners as part of Team 31. We recognise the diversity of roles anticipated for Type31e and, together, we will create and exciting, innovative and flexible capability for the Royal Navy based on the best of UK and international technologies in an open-system architecture that will ensure long term value for money.”
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