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BAE Systems Adaptable Strike Frigate is considered the leading contender to secure the Type 32 frigate production contract (BAE Systems).
BELFAST – The UK Royal Navy Command has formally “withdrawn” funding and equipment plans for development. Its initial type designated 32 frigates and multirole support ships (MRSS). A National Audit Office report says they are “unaffordable”, at least for now.
It was a decision Made in July 2022, but was revealed only on Tuesday upon the release of the watchdog’s “Defense Equipment Plan 2022-2032” document. The annual report reviews the MoD’s long-term financial planning by examining procurement, infrastructure and operational spending – in some ways similar to the US Government Accountability Office.
The report warned the Royal Navy that the decision to drop Type 32 funding was likely to “result in a revised cost profile…significantly higher” than originally planned. That language indicates that funding has been deferred and that the program has not been canceled entirely.
The next-generation Type 32 was first mentioned by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2020 and subsequently described in the UK’s latest defense review as a “new class of surface warship” designed to protect territorial waters and provide resilience when deployed overseas over the next decade. was .
According to a parliamentary statement by UK Defense Procurement Minister Alec Shellbrook, on 17 October, the concept phase for the program began in September 2022, before the MoD set to deliver an outline business case. An outline business case usually covers approvals for cost, production and delivery schedule, but now how is that resolved in light of funding deferrals?D is ambiguous.
BAE Systems has already advanced the Adaptable Strike Frigate concept as it bids to secure the Type 32 production contract. Company literature from the manufacturer notes that the concept involves a “modular system of systems” approach that will enable the frigate to be cost-effectively reconfigured for a “broad range of operations.”
In addition to the Type 32 matters, the MRSS funding deferral will likely force future operations to be further curtailed as those ships are lined up to support littoral strike campaigns from the early 2030s.
Support equipment from the Mine Hunting Capability Block 1 and 2 programs have also been left unfunded by the MoD, although the NAO offered no explanation behind the decision.
Similarly, funding for the future Type 83 destroyers, which are set to replace the Type 45 ships, has also not been included in the UK’s equipment plans.
The NAO points out, however, that as older destroyers are due to be replaced between 2035 and 2038, it is “unlikely” to require funding for replacement before 2032.
Regarding land-based procurement, funding has been approved for 1,016 Boxer vehicles out of the total requirement of 1,305 along with 61 out of 75 M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) and eight out of 10 recovery vehicles.
For the moment, no additional A400M aircraft will be procured after the Air Command evaluates such an option. The Royal Air Force is instead focusing on improving military transporter availability rates.
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