The Babcock shipyard in Rosyth, Fife, is poised to secure a contract worth over £1 billion to construct four frigates for the Danish navy. The yard, which is part of the British defense company Babcock International, is also one of two finalists for a separate Swedish navy contract for up to seven Type 31 ships. Competing against it is a French shipbuilding firm, which receives strong governmental supportfrom France. Decisions regarding these contracts are anticipated within the next six months, following over a year of discussions.
This potential export growth is seen as a significant turnaround for the Scottish shipbuilding sector, particularly after BAE Systems announced its own contract to build Type 26 frigates for the Royal Norwegian Navy. The announcement followed a recent visit by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to Glasgow to commemorate the success.
The Type 31 frigate, referred to as Arrowhead 1400, is characterized as a general-purpose vessel designed to accommodate various weapon systems. Each ship measures 455 feet (139 meters) and displaces 5,700 tonnes, being based on a Danish navy design. The development of these ships is budgeted at £250 million each—established in 2019—even though the construction of the first two has incurred losses for Babcock. The first Royal Navy ship, HMS Venturer, has already been launched and is currently being fitted out.
The Rosyth yard is also engaged in dismantling retired nuclear submarines and has plans to become a “contingent” base for the future Dreadnought-class submarines, adding to its expanding portfolio. The potential win of new contracts could double the current workforce from 2,500 to 4,000.
Additionally, the anticipated workload may generate demand for steel plates from the mothballed Dalzell steelworks in Motherwell, although Babcock currently relies on imported steel. Questions remain on whether this resurgence in defense contracts will stabilize the broader manufacturing supply chain in the UK amidst ongoing challenges.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cge2d4vngvdo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss