Warships order boosts ship building
Move expected to support skilled jobs
NAVY: Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has pledged to boost the UK shipbuilding industry by building three new support craft for aircraft carriers using British- led teams.
The Ministry of Defence says work on the warships will see a “significant proportion of the build and assembly work carried out in the UK”.
DEFENCE SECRETARY Ben Wallace has pledged to boost the UK shipbuilding industry by building three new support craft for Royal Navy aircraft carriers using Britishled teams.
The Ministry of Defence says work on the warships, set to launch next spring, will see a “significant proportion of the build and assembly work carried out in the UK”.
An MoD spokesperson said: “International companies will be invited to work in collaboration with UK firms to feed in their skills and expertise, but the successful manufacturing team must be led by a British company.
“This will have a huge impact on the local economies across the UK where shipbuilding is a prominent feature.”
The Defence Secretary said: “Shipbuilding has historically been a British success story, and I am determined to revitalise this amazing industry as part of this
Government’s commitment to build back better.”
Mr Wallace said the shipbuilding programme would “develop the skills and expertise for the shipyards of tomorrow”.
He said the “fleet solid support” ship initiative was expected to support hundreds of skilled jobs.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “The fleet solid support warships competition will be designed to challenge the shipbuilding industry.
“The goal will be to build ships fit for the future, while boosting home- grown skills and leading to a highly competitive shipbuilding industry.
“The warships will incorporate next- generation technology with a purpose- built design and will eventually support HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales as part of the carrier strike group, which will undertake its first operational deployment next year.”
The move is expected to support a range of jobs, especially in Scotland.
The Ministry of Defence spokesperson added: “The fleet solid support ship competition will build on the success of the Type 31 programme, which will be built primarily in Scotland and is expected to support 1,250 highly skilled jobs and 150 apprenticeships across the country.”