Royal Navy's formidable new Type 31 frigate starts to take shape as keel is laid

A keel laying ceremony for the latest Type 31 frigate being built for the Royal Navy – including a maritime tradition for good luck – has been held in Scotland.

HMS Formidable is the third of the Inspiration-class vessels being built for the senior service at the Babcock Dockyard in Rosyth – the same shipyard where work on both Royal Navy aircraft carriers was completed.

A symbolic coin was placed in the ship's keel block – a long tradition aimed to act as a blessing for good luck, fortune and safe voyages.

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The company's youngest apprentice Joolz Hunter and Scottish Government minister Ben MacPherson MSP did the honours in the build shed.

CEO of Babcock David Lockwood said: "Type 31 is a five-ship programme.  

"The first ship's always the prototype, particularly when you've built it in Covid, which is an amazing achievement by the team, so by the time you get to ship three, it's full production.

"We have a very close direct relationship with the Navy so that we get a good understanding of future requirements."

All five of the Type 31 Frigates being built in the Fife shipyard are named after prestigious historic Royal Navy vessels.

HMS Formidable's namesake was a Second World War aircraft carrier that earned 10 battle honours.

Former Second Sea Lord and Babcock's Chief Executive of Marine, Sir Nick Hine, said: "These milestones are significant, and they're becoming more regular.

"I have to say I'm sort of responsible for them being here because, when I was in the Navy, I thought the Navy needed a frigate that was more affordable, more adaptable, more available and therefore that's what the Type 31 is designed to do.

"It's designed to be easier to build, faster to build and is then more available with less crew in order to deliver on that which the Royal Navy needs. The Royal Navy, like every other service in the world, always suffers from two things. 

"It suffers from money, and it suffers from a lack of people.  

"So, we're trying to make those two things right for them by delivering a lower cost alternative with less people with a higher availability, and that's got to be, I think, a positive going forward."