The UK Government has selected Babcock to build its Arrowhead 140 design for the Royal Navy’s Type 31e frigate requirement to complement the Type 26 frigate in service.

The 5,700t Type 31e is smaller and lower tier ship than the 8,000t Type 26, and will be built by Ferguson Marine Engineering on the Clyde River in Glasgow alongside BAE Systems’ Type 26 yard.

“Driven by innovation and backed by experience and heritage, Arrowhead 140 is a modern warship that will meet the maritime threats of today and tomorrow, with British ingenuity and engineering at its core. It provides a flexible, adaptable platform that delivers value for money and supports the UK’s National Shipbuilding Strategy,” Babcock CEO Archie Bethel said in a statement.

“Arrowhead 140 will offer the Royal Navy a new class of ship with a proven ability to deliver a range of peacekeeping, humanitarian and warfighting capabilities whilst offering communities and supply chains throughout the UK a wide range of economic and employment opportunities.”

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace added, “These mighty ships will form the next generation of the Royal Navy fleet. The Type 31 frigates will be a fast, agile and versatile warship, projecting power and influence across the globe.

“The ships will be vital to the Royal Navy’s mission to keeping peace, providing life-saving humanitarian aid and safeguarding the economy across the world from the North Atlantic, to the Gulf, and in the Asia Pacific.” The first Type 31e is scheduled to be launched in 2023.