Expand frigate orders to sustain fleet and shipyards

The Royal Navy proposal expands existing frigate programmes instead of designing an entirely new answer. It raises the Type 26 buy from eight to at least twelve anti-submarine frigates while allowing Type 32 to follow Type 31 without a damaging production gap. A roughly decade-long path from laying down a Type 26 to commissioning shows how a slow drumbeat postpones fleet growth even while keeping the yard open. Prospective Norwegian orders could fit into the same yard without disrupting British production, suggesting unused capacity in the current cadence. Steadier orders would retain workers and suppliers while delivering more escorts before Type 83 construction begins.