How many Type 31 and Type 32 frigates should the Royal Navy ideally have?
Short answerNine of each, within a larger balanced fleet of Type 83s, Type 26s, and roughly 24 offshore patrol vessels.
NotesThe proposed mix separates air defense, anti-submarine warfare, general-purpose presence, mine warfare, and low-end patrol. Twelve Type 83s and eighteen Type 26s would support high-end groups and strategic duties, while nine Type 31s and nine Type 32s would provide broader coverage. Roughly twenty-four OPVs would carry routine maritime-security work without consuming first-rate escorts. This is explicitly a preferred balanced model under current assumptions, with no claim that government will fund it.