Royal Navy’s Inspiration-class Type 31 Frigate Is Unstoppable

After suffering repair woes with its Queen Elizabeth-class carriers and a years-long refit with a Type 45 destroyer, the British Royal Navy finally has some good news for warship procurement efforts. The new Inspiration-class frigates will hit the waves in FY2026.

The Type 31 frigates, the HMS Venturer and HMS Active, have been given in-service dates as of last month.

HMS Venturer will “float off” in the fall of 2025 or spring of 2026, and the HMS Active during the second half of 2026. The British are building a total of five Inspiration-class frigates, and the third of the class is also being constructed at this time.

These Warships Will Be Modern Stalwarts for the Fleet

The frigates are being built by Babcock International, a defense contractor that received the initial contract in 2019. Babcock is using what it calls the “Arrowhead 140 design.” The engineers and technicians believe the Inspiration-class frigates will be dominant in a multi-threat environment during future warfare.

Vertical Launch System Is Robust

The Inspiration-class Type 31 frigates displace 5,700 tons, and they are 456 feet long. Its top speed is 26 knots. They will deploy the powerful MK41 Vertical Launch System. The VLS is a versatile apparatus that can launch the “Standard Missile SM-2, SM-3 and SM-6 variants, Tomahawk cruise missiles, Sea Sparrow, Evolved Sea Sparrow, and vertical launch anti-submarine rocket (VLA),” according to Naval Today.

The Inspiration-class Type 31 has a varied mission set, including aircraft carrier escort duty, humanitarian missions, anti-surface ship warfare, anti-submarine combat, and intelligence collection. They have a crew of 100 and can carry another 40 sailors if needed.

All five of the Inspiration-class frigates will be in active service in the 2030s. This construction is a shot in the arm to the Royal Navy, which has been criticized for the low number of active ships. Some of which have been in repairs for years.

Mothership for Versatile Small Patrol Boats

The Inspiration-class frigates have an interesting feature that will allow them to deploy PAC-24 boats. These are small patrolling craft that can board enemy vessels to conduct counter-narcotics missions and fight pirates. The Type 31s also have a flight deck for Merlin or Wildcat helicopters that enhance situational awareness and sniff out enemy submarines.

New Acquisition Strategy Is Badly Needed

The Type 31s will replace the Type 23 general-purpose frigates. The Type 23s have been active since the early 1990s. The Inspirations are being constructed under the Royal Navy’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, which allows the maritime branch to increase the numbers of active ships and respond better to modern threats.

More Specifics About the Inspiration-class

The HMS Active’s keel was laid in 2023. Babcock won the acquisition bid by beating out BAE Systems and Atlas Elektronik UK designs. The contract is worth over $3 billion. The other Type 31 Inspiration-class frigates will be the HMS Bulldog, Campbeltown, and Formidable.

“The [Inspiration-class] will feature electrically actuated assemblies instead of hydraulic systems. High-pressure hydraulic systems have the potential to increase the weight, complexity, and cost of the naval platform, as well as pose a risk in case of pipeline rupture during an armed conflict, according to Naval-Technology.

Each frigate will be equipped with an active electronically scanned array radar. This can be upgraded in the future as needs evolve. To direct fire control and command the battle space, the Inspiration-class will have the Thales’ TACTICOS combat management system. 

There are other electro-optical systems and an electronic warfare suite with a modernized navigation suite. 

The weapons systems on the frigates. Bofors 57 Mk3 medium-caliber guns and two Bofors 40 Mk4 small-caliber guns adorn the deck. Then there is the Sea Ceptor air defense system that uses the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile.

The Inspiration-class frigates are badly needed by the Royal Navy. This is a force that has been neglected and at least one of the ships has been at port for repairs longer than they have been in active service. The frigates will be survivable and can conduct an array of missions.

The patrol boat launching system is probably one of the most interesting capabilities. This will allow it to fight multinational criminal groups that proliferate in the developing world.

We’ll keep an eye on the Inspiration-class to see if they are built under budget and on time. The Royal Navy needs a boost as modern threats include counter-terror and counter-narcotics missions, as well as the rise of Russia and China.

These frigates could answer the call and would have a significant role in maintaining the viability of the British fleet over the following decades.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.