The Type 31 program created an opportunity to give the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers a stronger gun-based defensive fit. The frigates' 57 mm and Bofors 40 mm weapons offered useful commonality as well as close-range firepower. Missile fragments and other debris can cause foreign-object damage when ingested by an aircraft engine, so the choice has to respect flight-deck constraints. A British F-35 loss is linked to a cover that had not been properly accounted for, with that explanation explicitly qualified as the story as understood at the time.
Notable Point · 5:31-6:31
Type 31 weapon commonality could strengthen carrier self-defence
A proposed common gun family between Type 31 frigates and the Queen Elizabeth class illustrates how fleet-wide weapon choices must also respect flight-deck debris risks.