The Royal Navy’s new fleet is built for flexibility, not just firepower

Countries & Cities · Published 14 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While high-end warships focus on advanced combat, the new Type 31 frigate is designed for a different mission. It is a deliberately lower-end, more affordable vessel, engineered to handle everything from counter-piracy to humanitarian aid while maintaining a permanent presence in global waters.

The Type 3/Inspiration class represents a strategic shift in British naval procurement. Unlike the high-end, anti-submarine Type 26 frigates, the Type 31 is intended to be a lighter, more flexible, and cost-effective platform. This 'less high-end' approach, as described by former First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones, allows the Royal Navy to exert influence in regions like the Persian Gulf and the Asia-Pacific without the massive overhead of specialized combatants.

Utilising the Danish Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate's hull, the Arrowhead 140 serves as the basis for this design. While it is not a direct copy, it has been extensively reworked to meet modern standards, such as NATO’s ANEP-77 Naval Ship Code. This ensures enhanced survivability and system redundancy compared to older vessels like the Type 23 and Type 45. The ships are highly modular; they can be configured for anti-air warfare with long-range radar or for anti-submarine missions with acoustic reduction measures.

The procurement history was marked by intense competition and controversy. In 2017, analysts suggested the competition was designed to break BAE Systems' dominance in UK shipbuilding. While the Ministry of Defence denied this, citing a need for speed and cost reduction, the eventual winner was the Babcock-led Arrowhead 140 design. The project is part of the UK's National Shipbuilding Strategy, with an overall programme cost set at £2 billion, aiming to deliver five ships to the Royal Navy by 2028.

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