HMS Formidable Keel Laid as Babcock Demonstrates World-Class Capability

Babcock International Group (Babcock), the defence company, marked two major milestones on Tuesday at its Rosyth facility in Scotland. As another significant moment was delivered on the Type 31 (T31) programme with the keel laid for HMS Formidable, a new contract was announced with HII, (NYSE:HII), the United States largest military shipbuilder and a global leader in maritime unmanned autonomous platforms, to support the US Navy’s Virginia class submarines from the site.

As part of the leading frigate programme, that will see five T31s delivered to the UK’s Royal Navy (RN) within 10 years of contract signing, the keel laying ceremony signalled the programme’s strong momentum and reinforced Rosyth’s role as a critical sovereign capability.  

Celebrated with Babcock’s workforce, the RN and UK and international guests, the first modular section of the ship was carefully positioned on top of a coin, a traditional symbol of good fortune for the ship and her crew.

Earlier on Tuesday, HII and Babcock announced an expansion to their strategic partnership that will see Babcock put its advanced manufacturing expertise to use, supporting complex submarine assemblies for the US Virginia-class submarine programme from Rosyth, further growing support for the US submarine fleet from the Scottish site that already delivers missile tube assemblies for US and UK programmes.

Sir Nick Hine, Chief Executive of Babcock – Marine, said:

“This is an important week in the history of Rosyth. As the keel of HMS Formidable is laid in this vital and fast-paced UK defence programme, our advanced design and build capability will also now support the delivery of the US Virginia class submarines – a critical component of the AUKUS trilateral partnership between Australia, the US and the UK.

“Our workforce here in Rosyth is delivering some of the most advanced international defence programmes, driving economic growth and providing highly skilled jobs to our surrounding communities here in Scotland.”

Commander Thomas Hetherington, Royal Navy, Senior Naval Officer – HMS Venturer and T31 Ships, said:

“HMS Formidable’s keel laying ceremony marks a significant milestone in the T31 Project’s relentless progress in delivering the Royal Navy’s Inspiration Class to operations. The ceremony blends the tradition of marking the birth of a ship with the undoubted technological advances that have been used in designing and building her for the extremely complex environment she will sail in. The third of five ships, HMS Formidable will help modernise the Royal Navy’s frigate fleet and enhance the lived experience for our sailors as they continue to deliver on operations across the globe.”

Steve Ranyard, DE&S Type 31 Team Leader, said:

"Today's keel laying marks another key milestone towards the Royal Navy's future capabilities. This demonstrates the excellent progress we're making in delivering these versatile frigates. The Type 31 programme is not only strengthening our naval fleet but also driving growth and prosperity across the UK's maritime sector."