Just came across this article about the Type 31. On reading it I was surprised to read :
"One school of thought is that the Type 31s could be on the slipway sooner rather than later. For budget and other reasons, building the Type 31s is not going to be just tacked on the end of the Type 26 program, some of which could come very early in the next decade, said industry executives who asked not to be named.
A joint MoD/industry team is already conducting early work on the Type 31 program, including looking at potential designs to fulfill the likely requirement as well as possible production schedules. One option could be a cut-down version of the 7,200-ton Type 26.
Other British designs being considered could include modified versions of the Khareef corvette already built by BAE for Oman and an offshore patrol vessel built for the Irish Navy by the Babcock International-owned Appledore shipyard in southwest England"
"One school of thought is that the Type 31s could be on the slipway sooner rather than later. For budget and other reasons, building the Type 31s is not going to be just tacked on the end of the Type 26 program, some of which could come very early in the next decade, said industry executives who asked not to be named.
A joint MoD/industry team is already conducting early work on the Type 31 program, including looking at potential designs to fulfill the likely requirement as well as possible production schedules. One option could be a cut-down version of the 7,200-ton Type 26.
Other British designs being considered could include modified versions of the Khareef corvette already built by BAE for Oman and an offshore patrol vessel built for the Irish Navy by the Babcock International-owned Appledore shipyard in southwest England"
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