Thales has completed factory acceptance testing (FAT) of the TACTICOS mission system and combat management system for the Royal Navy’s new Type 31 Inspiration-class frigates.
The mission system FAT was concluded at the end of April 2025, followed by the combat system FAT at the end of June 2025.
With factory activities now complete, the program will advance to land-based testing at the Shore Integration Facility before installation on HMS Venturer, the first of five Type 31 frigates being built by Babcock at Rosyth, Scotland.
“The successful completion of the FAT testing of the mission and combat systems marks a very significant further milestone for the Type 31 program and reflects the strength of our collaboration with Thales and all of our industrial partners,” Babcock Managing Director for Arrowhead Frigates Paul Watson said.
“Together, we are delivering world-class capabilities to the Royal Navy and creating a solid foundation for the future Inspiration-class frigates.”
Combat Management System
The combat management system serves as the central command and decision-making hub of a naval vessel, overseeing sensor control, picture compilation, situation assessment, action support, and weapon control across all missions.
Conceived in the early 1990s, TACTICOS has been continuously upgraded to meet evolving mission requirements, integrating with a wide range of sensors and effectors at both the ship and task group levels.
A major step in this evolution has been the shift to a certified open architecture, allowing TACTICOS to host third-party applications and quickly integrate new or updated functions.
Another key feature of the system is its smart, ergonomic operations room design, which displays all primary operations on a single screen and translates data from integrated naval systems into actionable information.
Type 31
The Type 31 program will deliver the Royal Navy’s new class of general-purpose frigates, replacing older Type 23s operational since the 1980s.
The ships are derived from Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 design, already chosen by navies in Indonesia and Poland.
Each vessel measures 139 meters (456 feet) in length with a 20-meter (66-foot) beam and has a displacement ranging from 5,700 to 7,000 tons (12,540 to 15,400 pounds).
The design accommodates more than 180 sailors and supports a maritime helicopter such as the Merlin or Wildcat, along with rigid-hull inflatable boats and an unmanned aerial system.
The Type 31 fleet is scheduled to enter service by 2030, with the first ship expected to be delivered between 2027 and 2028.
