Babcock International and BAE Systems Bofors have agreed to sustain the main guns on the UK Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigates to secure their long-term effectiveness.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding to coordinate in-service support for the Bofors naval gun systems being installed on the five frigates under construction at Babcock’s Rosyth facility in Scotland.
The Type 31s are central to the Royal Navy’s modernization drive as they are intended to be flexible and globally deployable platforms.
The frigates are expected to carry out missions ranging from maritime security patrols and counter-piracy to disaster relief and deterrence.
They will replace the Royal Navy’s Type 23 systems, which have been operational since the 1980s.
Mk3 and Mk4 Guns
Two Bofor variants will arm the ships, aligned with what the frigates require.
The Mk3 is a “highly flexible weapon system with minimal reaction time” that can fire four rounds per second with a maximum range of 17,000 meters (55,700 feet). Countries including the US, Canada, Sweden, Finland, and Mexico currently operate it.
The lighter Mk4 can fire 300 rounds per minute with a maximum range of 12,500 meters (41,000 feet). It is designed to “provide high survivability and tactical freedom at all levels of conflict.”
Babcock’s Mission Systems CEO Neal Misell is banking on the company’s “decades of technological experience and an intricate understanding” of the weapon systems and platforms in delivering the “most capable and cost-effective support” for the guns.
“These assets will provide a vital part of a ship’s defense, and the signing of this MOU brings together our unmatched team of experts to support these critical naval gunnery systems through life,” he said.
Babcock’s Work With the UK Royal Navy
This is not the first venture of Babcock with the Royal Navy. It has previously contributed through providing several systems, including the Mk8 gun, Phalanx Close-In Weapon, and the GSA9 gunfire control, aside from being the manufacturer of the country’s new frigates, as announced in 2019.
In May, the company rolled out HMS Venturer, the Royal Navy’s first Type 31 frigate after three years of construction. It is the first of the planned five frigates the UK intends to have by 2030. The other four would be named HMS Active, HMS Bulldog, HMS Campbeltown, and HMS Formidable.
Luke Pollard, UK Minister for Armed Forces, said that the HMS Venturer “represents the best of Britain’s world-class shipbuilding heritage.”
