The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) said recently that an ongoing program to develop and build new frigates for the Royal Navy has remained in its concept phase with no tentative timelines for either development or procurement.
Speaking on behalf of the MOD, Maria Eagle, Minister of State for Defence for Defence Procurement and Industry, informed Parliament that the Royal Navy's Type 32 frigate program "has not yet reached the level of maturity to allow publication of a specific timetable for design and procurement."
Eagle added that it would be "inappropriate" for the MOD to provide additional details of the project as it remains subject to scrutiny under the Strategic Defence Review (SDR).
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson had stated early in his term that the construction of the new frigates will help make Britain "the foremost naval power in Europe."
The £2.5 billion (US$3 billion) program stipulates that five frigates will be built at the facilities of Babcock International in Rosyth, Scotland.
The National Audit Office revealed in November 2022 that senior navy officials had expressed "concerns about unaffordability" and subsequently withdrew their plans for the ships. These officials' withdrawal then raised some concerns that the program would be cancelled.
The Scottish National Party had earlier warned that the Type 32 program's cancellation would be "catastrophic" both for the Royal Navy and for Scotland's shipbuilding industry, as work on the frigates would have employed more than 1,200 local staff.