An independent report commissioned by the Ministry of Defence, has recommended sweeping changes to the UK’s warship-building sector, including a call to spread work across shipyards and supply chains nation-wide.
The report, which was written by Anglo-American plc chairman and Airbus director Sir John Parker suggests that the new Type 31 General Purpose Frigate could be delivered by other than BAE Systems, currently the only UK builder of complex warships.
Moreover, he claims that a major shake-up of the MoD’s management and governance of Royal Navy ship procurement is required. The report was submitted several weeks ago and had been expected to form part of last month’s Autumn Statement.
The futures of BAE’s Scotstoun and Govan yards in Scotland were secured for 20 years recently when the Government confirmed the start date for work on eight new Type 26 combat vessels.
However, no decision has been made yet on where five Type 31 vessels will be built, although a decision is due next year.
Sir John said that the Type 31s are “urgently” needed to maintain fleet numbers and to establish an exportable light frigate, but added that there was no precedent for building two different navy frigates in one location.
He suggested new frigates built for export could be designed in “a modular way, which could see them shared between yards around the UK and assembled at a central hub” — the model adopted for the navy’s two new aircraft carriers.
Sir John also said it is “incumbent on the Clyde yards” to use their “firm workload to push forward modernisation of technology and advance digital engineering and productivity.
They need to be ‘match fit’ so they can be the yards of choice”. However, Gary Cook, Scottish regional organiser of the GMB union, said the review fails to provide answers for the future of Scottish ship building.
“A central hub is years away. The immediate pressing problem is how do we get a continuity of work into Rosyth and other UK facilities?” He added: “Scotland simply cannot do without future ship-building contracts.”
Sir John’s review also warns that old ships are being retained “beyond their sell-by-date, with all the attendant high costs of so doing,” and that “the time-frame for new vessels, from concept to delivery, is excessive compared to other industries. As a result there is a vicious cycle that is depleting the Royal Navy fleet and unnecessarily costing the tax-payer. This cycle needs to be broken”.