We’re bringing shipbuilding back to the UK
The Prime Minister announced that new warships for the Royal Navy will be built in the UK.
This will secure thousands of jobs for people at British shipyards and ensure that the United Kingdom is a global, outward-looking nation as we leave the EU.
What new naval ships are being built?
We are building five new vessels for the Royal Navy, and we’re expecting to build more that will be sold to countries across the world.
These ships are Type 31 warships, which are cutting-edge and will be built in the UK. This investment will help supercharge the British shipbuilding industry – putting British design and building expertise at the heart of this important international market.
The first British Type 31 warship will be in the water in 2023.
Who is building the new warships?
The new Type 31 warships will be built by Babcock, a company that specialises in building complex assets such as frigates.
The ships will be assembled mainly in Rosyth, Fife, and the parts for the ships will be constructed across the UK – supporting over 2,500 jobs. So it’s good for British industry and good for British jobs.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said, ‘This is a clear show of support for the UK defence sector, the role it plays in keeping the United Kingdom secure, and its contribution to Scotland's prosperity through high-skilled employment and investment.’
The Government is committed to supporting the shipbuilding industry
As part of a Conservative defence policy, we will continue to grow the British shipbuilding industry – using British design, authority, and expertise in military design and shipbuilding to create jobs around the UK.
The Government is also committed to keeping the UK a world leader in commercial shipbuilding. The leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine sector grew for the seventh year in a row, an increase of 1.7% last year alone. And the UK is third in global yacht-building rankings.
Boris Johnson has also appointed Defence Secretary Ben Wallace as the ‘Shipping Tsar’. This means that we’ve got a person dedicated to getting new investment and opportunities for British shipbuilding. And the Department for Education, BEIS and the Department for International Trade are launching a new Maritime Trade and Investment Plan to keep our shipbuilding sector growing.
How this fits in with our naval policy
The Government has pledged to maintain a surface fleet of at least 19 frigates and destroyers and to grow this fleet in the 2030s. The first batch of five Type 31 frigates will help achieve this.
When the challenges we face across the world’s seas are increasing, the Type 31 frigates enable the UK to undertake more missions – like the interception and disruption of those breaching international maritime law.
The Prime Minister said, ‘The UK is an outward-looking island nation, and we need a shipbuilding industry and Royal Navy that reflect the importance of the seas to our security and prosperity.
‘I look forward to the restoration of British influence and excellence across the world’s oceans. I am convinced that by working together we will see a renaissance in this industry which is so much part of our island story – so let’s bring shipbuilding home.’