Babcock plan would let Type 31 command US-built drone warships.
Babcock has set out a plan to turn the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates into command vessels for a fleet of large HII-built autonomous warships, forming what it calls “an architecture of disaggregated systems and platforms capable of independent operations and connected by world leading digital capabilities.”
The proposal, ARMOR Force, is presented as the industrial answer to the First Sea Lord’s demand for a Hybrid Navy and is framed as a direct enabler of Atlantic Bastion, Atlantic Shield and Atlantic Strike. Babcock says it will allow Type 31 to “control a networked force of large autonomous uncrewed vessels and systems” that can disperse anti-submarine, air defence and strike capabilities over wide areas.
The centrepiece is HII’s ROMULUS family of unmanned surface vessels. HII describes the drones as bringing “scale, autonomy and real operational advantage” through long endurance, rapid production and AI-enabled mission systems. The vessels are intended to deliver “sustained open ocean autonomy with a focus on lethality, cost efficiency, and scalability.”
Babcock will build the handling system to move modular PODS on and off the ROMULUS ships, creating a payload system that can quickly switch roles. The company says ARMOR Force also includes “modular containerised Persistent Operational Deployment Systems for rapid capability deployment and mission autonomy,” plus an autonomous mission system it plans to have “deployable by the end of 2026.”
Sir Nick Hine, Babcock Marine chief executive, said the proposal is meant to answer the First Sea Lord’s call for decisive change: “ARMOR Force is our response to the First Sea Lord’s call for a re-imagined Hybrid Navy. We are combining advanced autonomy, modular systems, and digital innovation to create a fleet that is more agile, resilient and ready for tomorrow’s challenges.”
HII chief executive Chris Kastner said the partnership is intended to reshape future fleets: “HII is proud to be part of this game-changing industry initiative. The ROMULUS family of USVs brings scale, autonomy and real operational advantage, and HII adds world-leading expertise across land, sea and air.”
Arondite’s Cobalt operating system will serve as the autonomous mission layer across the fleet. Chief executive Will Blyth said: “The future of maritime power will be defined by an adaptable blend of crewed and uncrewed systems. We have built Cobalt to tackle exactly this challenge.”
Babcock stresses that ARMOR Force is built on open commercial and NATO standards to ensure it can integrate with allied forces. Its Rosyth facility will lead development, supported by work on autonomy, real-time modelling, remote operations and mission-system integration.
If adopted, ARMOR Force would become the Navy’s first fully networked system designed to let a frigate command drone warships at scale, aligning directly with the new emphasis on autonomous sensors, dispersed lethality and rapid procurement.