HMS Formidable (Type 31 frigate)
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Formidable |
| Namesake | HMS Formidable (67) |
| Builder | Babcock International,[1] Rosyth |
| Laid down | 9 December 2025[2] |
| Commissioned | Projected late 2028.[3] |
| Status | Under construction |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Type 31 frigate |
| Displacement | 5,700 t (5,600 long tons) |
| Length | 138.7 m (455 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power | 4 × Rolls Royce/MTU 20V 8000 M71 (8.2 MW) diesel engines[4] 4 × Rolls Royce/MTU 16V 2000 M41B (900 kW) generators |
| Propulsion | MAN Alpha VBS Mk 5 controllable pitch propeller, two shafts, CODAD[5] |
| Speed | In excess of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) |
| Endurance | 9,000 nmi (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) |
| Complement | c. 110 (accommodation for up to 190)[6] |
| Sensors & processing systems | TACTICOS combat management system, Thales NS110 3D radar, Raytheon Warship Integrated Navigation and Bridge System, Terma Scanter and Raytheon NSX navigation radars, 2 Mirador Mk2 EOS, Viasat Ultrahigh-frequency satellite communications[7] |
| Electronic warfare & decoys | Vigile-D ESM |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | |
| Aviation facilities | Helicopter hangar and flight deck |
| Notes | Mission bay under flight deck for 6 TEUs. 3 boat bays for RHIBs and USVs/UUVs. |
HMS Formidable is a Type 31 frigate of the Royal Navy and the sixth vessel named after the word formidable.[9] In May 2021, the names of the five planned Type 31 ships were announced by the First Sea Lord. The names were selected to represent key themes that represent the future plans of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines - forward deployment of ships overseas; operating in the North Atlantic; carrier operations; technology and innovation; and the Future Commando Force.
Formidable, named after the World War II-era aircraft carrier HMS Formidable (67), represents carrier operations. Formidable took part in the Battle of Cape Matapan, Operation Torch, attacked the German battleship Tirpitz, and fought against Japan in the Pacific theatre.[10] The plan for the Type 31 project envisages all five units of the class being in service by February 2030.[11]
Construction
[edit | edit source]First steel cut on the new ship took place in October 2024[12] and the keel was formally laid down in December 2025.[13]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).