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Written question asked by Luke Akehurst (Labour) on Monday, 9 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 11 March 2026. It was answered by Luke Pollard (Labour) on Tuesday, 17 March 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.


Type 31 Frigates: Repairs and Maintenance

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adapting Type 31 frigates for enhanced air defence or strike roles to support carrier operations.

Answer

The Type 31 frigate has been designed as a capable, flexible and affordable general-purpose platform that will undertake a wide range of global tasks. The Department routinely assesses the potential merits of adapting Royal Navy (RN) platforms, including Type 31, to respond to evolving operational requirements.

As with all RN platforms, options for incremental upgrades are kept under regular review. For security and operational reasons, the Ministry of Defence does not comment on detailed capability development plans in the public domain.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
119021
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Repairs and maintenance Type 31 frigates
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk