RN Frigates: Type 31 Inspiration Class

Add your posts about Royal Navy ships in this section
User avatar
DaveH
Posts: 395
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:58 pm
Location: PLYMOUTH , DEVON

Re: RN Frigates: Type 31

Unread post by DaveH »

ivorthediver wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:53 pm I totally agree Dave but I suspect to many slipways have already been greased , and if we are not careful that little Cranky and she manages to convince more of her like whilst wafting through the Glens........ we will all lose ....them investment and employment ....us the option of spreading our countries defence assets around limiting any possible damage to our shores .....

I know the tower is still open , so cant she be invited to reside there ;)
Keep it Naval Ivor ........ Maybe an old Lighter moored in the middle of Scapa ,,,, she would feel more at home there :)
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9743
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Frigates: Type 31

Unread post by Pelican »

Type 31 Frigate ‘may or may not’ be fitted with anti-ship missiles
The Type 31 Frigate fit out could potentially include an anti-ship missile system, is one really required though?

Kevan Jones, MP for Durham, asked via a written Parliamentary question:
“To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Type 31 will possess an anti-ship-missile capability.”

Jeremy Quin, Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence, replied:
“Flexible by design, the Type 31 frigates will be adaptable to a range of capabilities, which may include an anti-ship missile system.”

The British government released a Request for information detailing the desired characteristics of the Type 31e, this included a Medium Calibre Gun 57mm, a point defence anti-air missile system and the optional ability to launch and recover unmanned aerial vehicles. Notably the RFI does not include anti-ship missile systems.

Will this be a problem? Probably not, the ships aren’t likely to be tasked to do anything that requires them.

While this is primarily a result of funding, it’s hard to see a requirement for this given what the vessel will be tasked to do.

Type 26 will cover the high end tasks and Type 31 will generally cover low end constabulary work.

During a 2016 Defence Select Committee hearing, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones described the vessel that would become Type 31e as “to be a much less high-end ship. It is still a complex warship, and it is still able to protect and defend and to exert influence around the world, but it is deliberately shaped with lessons from wider industry and off-the-shelf technology to make it more appealing to operate at a slightly lower end of Royal Navy operations”.

IHS Janes described it as a “credible frigate” that will cover “maritime security, maritime counter-terrorism and counter-piracy operations, escort duties, and naval fire support sitting between the high-end capability delivered by the Type 26 and Type 45, and the constabulary-oriented outputs to be delivered by the five planned River-class Batch 2 OPVs”.

So there we have it, they could be fitted but they probably aren’t needed.
From: UKDJ

Attached is a spec.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9743
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Frigates: Type 31

Unread post by Pelican »

Royal Navy combatants – fitted for, but not with anti-ship missiles
After some optimism last year that the RN would be able to at least partially replace its ageing Harpoon anti-ship missile system, recent statements in Parliament have cast doubt over whether this can be achieved.


The national Audit report into the MoD’s Equipment Plan 2019-29 was published on 27 February and makes for mostly grim reading. Amongst various ‘high priority projects’, replacement for the Harpoon missile system is “not yet fully funded, and the Plan does not include the costs of developing them further.” Against a shortfall of between £2.9 – 13 Billion in the Equipment Plan as a whole, finding the money for even a modest stock of new missiles looks increasingly unlikely.

An MoD contract notice was issued in August 2019 seeking an Interim Surface to Surface Guided Weapon (I-SSGW) able to provide “a ship-launched, over-the-horizon precision anti-ship capability and a terrain-following precision maritime land attack capability.” The budget was supposed to be £200 million to provide missile systems for at least 5 ships. The “Interim” indicates that this purchase was intended to cover the gap in capability until the Anglo-French developed Future Cruise and Anti-Ship Weapon (FCASW) becomes available sometime in the early 2030s.

As the RN has never actually fired a heavyweight anti-ship missile in anger, this could be used as a reason for the lower priority given to SSGW. It may seem unlikely they would be needed in the immediate future while low-medium intensity maritime security tasks remain the focus but concern about state-on-state conflict is on the rise. We cannot argue we need the deterrent provided by Trident (which we have never used) while saying we don’t need anti-ship missiles because we have never used them. The SSGW issue neatly sums up the UK’s predicament over whether it can remain credible in deterring or fighting a peer enemy, alone or in coalition. Has the desire to retain a full spectrum of capability left it spread so thin is becoming ineffective in any single domain?

Continues at:
https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/royal- ... k5BSpJBoq0
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9743
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Frigates: Type 31

Unread post by Pelican »

Babcock announce Type 31 Frigate supply chain contracts
By George Allison - April 19, 202033
Babcock Team 31 have announced the second round of supply chain contract awards for UK and European firms to support the Royal Navy’s Type 31 general purpose frigate programme.

Rolls-Royce is now a major supplier to the programme with its brand MTU, delivering the Main Engines and Diesel Generators for the Frigates, which will be manufactured in Germany.

Renk, will provide the main reduction gearboxes, and MAN Energy Solutions will supply the propellers and propeller shaft lines.

In addition, Blunox are contracted to supply the exhaust environmental equipment that significantly reduces emissions from the Main Engines and Diesel Generators. Combined with the subcontract placed with Darchem Engineering Ltd, will supply the intake and exhaust systems for the main engines and generators, rounding out the key propulsion system subcontracts.

We are also pleased to announce award of the Chilled Water Plant subcontract with Novenco AS, providing critical system capability for the HVAC system.

The Type 31 Programme will deliver prosperity into shipbuilding and the extended supply chain. The scale of this investment, principally in design, engineering, project management, procurement and advanced manufacturing skills, has an enduring positive impact on the UK.

Sean Donaldson, Managing Director for Energy & Marine, said:

“Team 31 have committed to a programme of investments to deliver prosperity in line with the National Shipbuilding Strategy. We are delighted to welcome these key suppliers to the supply chain for the Type 31 frigate programme, and we continue to engage with additional suppliers to support this exciting programme for Babcock and the Royal Navy.”

FROM UKDJ
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9743
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Frigates: Type 31

Unread post by Pelican »

Rolls Royce MTU engines selected for the Type 31 frigate

Babcock announced this week that MTU has been selected to supply the main engines and generator sets for the Type 31 frigate.
[See 2nd attached photo whose caption reads:
MTU 20V 8000 M71 engine are the most powerful high-speed diesel engines available and can deliver up to 12,200 bhp (9,100 kW) of continuous power.]

MTU is a German company headquartered in Friedrichshafen, employing more than 10,000 people but is a subsidiary of British-owned Rolls Royce Holdings Plc. They are a world leader in marine diesel manufacture and the RN’s engine supplier of choice. The decision to select MTU engines for Type 31 is no great surprise. The Danish Navy’s Iver-Huitfield class frigates that form the basis of the frigate’s design have near-identical 20V 8000 M70 engines.

Four replacement 12-cylinder 4000 M53B diesel generator sets are being installed on each of the Type 23 frigates during the Power Generation Machinery Upgrade (PGMU) programme. The Type 26 frigate will be fitted with four 20-cylinder MTU 4000 M53B diesel generator sets. Three MTU Series 4000 DG sets will be installed on each of the Type 45 destroyers undergoing the Power Improvement Project. The Astute class submarines have two DGs which provide back up power to the nuclear reactor. They have been upgraded from the old MTU 8-cylinder 396 engines to 12-cylinder MTU 4000s. Such commonality across the fleet reduces costs by simplifying training and logistic support.

In total, Babcock’s Type 31 order comprises 20 engines and 20 generator sets, the MTU Callosum propulsion control and monitoring system, and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS). Each frigate will be propelled by four MTU 20-cylinder 8000 M71 engines. Electrical power will be provided on each vessel by four MTU generator sets based on 16-cylinder 2000 M41B units, each delivering in excess of 900 kW. The first shipset from MTU is scheduled for delivery to new frigate factory in Rosyth for insertion into hull 1 during September 2021.

[See 3rd attached photo whose caption reads:
The 8000 M700 diesels side-by-side in one of the two engine rooms of the Danish frigate, Iver Huitfeldt.]

The Iver Huitfeldt parent design has simple, robust CODAD propulsion. The four diesels can be clutched in to drive the ship in different configurations. A single-engine can propel the ship at 18 knots with an exceptional range of about 9,300nm. Two diesels can make about 25 knots and using all four engines the ship can reach 29.3 knots in less than 120 seconds.

The placing of this contract will doubtless spark further debate about British taxpayers’ money being spent overseas. The Type 31 project is partly inspired by its economic benefits and the amount of UK content will be closely scrutinised. Despite recently heightened concern about reliance on overseas suppliers, any complex UK defence project will include an international supply chain. In this case, MTU offers the best quality solution, is inherent in the existing parent design and maintains commonality with existing platforms.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9743
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Frigates: Type 31

Unread post by Pelican »

Above is the 3rd intended image this is the 2nd image.

All 3 appeared correctly in Preview but 2 disappeared when Submitted.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9743
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Frigates: Type 31

Unread post by Pelican »

1st intended image.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9743
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Frigates: Type 31

Unread post by Pelican »

MoD to ‘mitigate impact’ of Covid-19 on Type 31 Frigate project
June 16, 20201
Work is being undertaken to mitigate any potential impact from COVID-19 on the Type 31 programme.

Douglas Chapman, the Shadow SNP Spokesperson for Small Business, Enterprise and Innovation, asked via a Parliamentary written question:
“To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on the timescale of the Type 31e frigate project.”
Jeremy Quin, The Minister of State at Ministry of Defence, responded:
“The Department is working with Babcock and its suppliers to de-risk and mitigate any potential for impact to the Type 31 programme due to COVID-19. Most of the current key outputs for the programme are focused on design, infrastructure development and supply chain mobilisation, and work continues within the Government’s safe working requirements.”
Source UKDJ
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
User avatar
ivorthediver
Posts: 3659
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:42 pm
Location: Cambridge Shore Battery

Re: RN Frigates: Type 31

Unread post by ivorthediver »

Hmmmm are you suspicious like me David , this guise will be used at every juncture to delay and contain expenditure is my take on it , whilst agreeing that all safeguards will be implemented hopefully ;)
"What Ever Floats your Boat"
User avatar
Pelican
Posts: 9743
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:10 pm

Re: RN Frigates: Type 31

Unread post by Pelican »

New ‘Frigate Factory’ construction begins in Rosyth

Progress on the Type 31 Frigate programme continues with work starting on a new build hall, or ‘frigate factory’, capable of building two frigates at once.

Continues at:
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/new-fri ... NULHJZjpKc
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “Royal Navy”