Report: Denmark and Sweden Are Close to Orders for UK Frigates

UK naval shipbuilding appears to be on the verge of a major surge in new orders. According to a report in the Financial Times, hot on the heels of Norway’s decision last week to acquire British Type 26 frigates, Denmark and Sweden are in “advanced talks” to acquire British Type 31 frigates. Negotiations with Denmark are in the closing stages, according to the Financial Times, while Sweden is still considering a French option as well.

Contract negotiations, the BBC reports, have been underway for more than a year, and the decisions are expected within the next six months. BBC estimates the value of the Danish contract at more than £1billion.

Whereas the Type 26 is a specialist anti-submarine warfare platform built by BAE, the Type 31 “Arrowhead 140” is built by Babcock at Rosyth in Scotland, and has a multi-functional role. The Royal Navy has ordered five Type 31s. The design has also been sold to Indonesia and Poland for domestic manufacture.

 

HMS Venturer (F12) is expected for Royal Navy service in 2027 (Royal Navy)

 

The first of class, HMS Venturer (F12), was semi-launched in June and has now been fitted with its 24-ton mast. It seems likely to come into full service with the Royal Navy in 2027. HMS Active, the second in class, is still in the assembly shed in Rosyth, and is following about six months behind. The last of what will be known as the Inspiration Class, HMS Campbelltown, is scheduled to come into service in May 2030. Inevitably, there may be delays if production slots are reallocated to new purchasers, to the detriment of the Royal Navy. Nevertheless, the new orders and accelerated production will have the effect of increasing the overall number of vessels available to NATO.

The Inspiration Class will be fitted with a vertical launch system able to launch Standard Missile SM-2, SM-3, and SM-6s, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and SeaSparrow short-range anti-missiles. The frigates will have a hangar for a Merlin or Wildcat helicopter, a launch capability for three 8m Pacific 24 rigid inflatable boats, and a flexi-use space plumbed into the ship’s combat system for six TEU containers, with configuration dependent on mission. 

The Norwegian order, the previous purchase of the Type 31 design by Poland, and these potential Danish and Swedish orders are a reflection of the emphasis that the United Kingdom has placed on working with Northern European countries within the NATO context. In May 2022, the government of Boris Johnson took the lead in offering the security support of a nuclear nation to the governments of Finland and Sweden, while both contemplated joining NATO. The Joint Expeditionary Force was formed in London in 2014 to better integrate high-readiness forces of member nations, and is currently made up of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK.