At the keel laying of the Royal Navy’s third Type 31 frigate, HMS Formidable, Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie delivered a speech that doubled as a tribute to Rosyth’s workforce and a quiet strategic warning about the world these ships are being built for.
Speaking beneath the cranes and hull sections of the expanding frigate line, Downie reminded workers that he has been present at each stage of Formidable’s journey so far.
“I was proud to be here at the steel cutting of HMS Formidable in October, just a few months after I was elected… the plaque from that day sits in the centre of the shelf in my office in London” he told the assembled teams.
He stressed the centrality of Babcock’s dockyard to both the constituency and national defence. “This dockyard is the largest employer in my constituency and I am proud to be your champion and your voice” he said, highlighting the £340 million already secured from the UK government to upgrade infrastructure, expand submarine dismantling capacity and improve contingent docking.
Downie then pointed outward. Rosyth’s technical output, particularly its role in building missile tubes for the US Navy’s Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, has earned international visibility. “US Congressmen, the US Department of War and the British Ambassador all talked about the work you are doing here… They know how vital you are to the defence of our most important strategic ally.”
The global relevance extends further still. The recently announced Marine Partnership Agreement with Indonesia, he said, safeguards 1,000 jobs across the UK, most of them in Rosyth.
From there, Downie shifted to the strategic picture. In a world he described as “more difficult and volatile,” navies need ships that deliver quickly, adapt rapidly and fill multiple roles. The Type 31 frigate is meant to do exactly that.
“Flexible platforms that can be used for a variety of different purposes are becoming more and more key.
Platforms like Type 31 that can be delivered more quickly, more cost effectively and used in multiple ways to combat different threats.”
He noted growing foreign interest in the Type 31 design, a point Babcock officials have emphasised as export campaigns accelerate. “Countries around the world are looking at T31 for their own navies… helping to keep our allies safe.”
Downie closed by returning to the workforce, tying their daily craft to national security.
“That is only possible because of the skills and dedication you have shown. Thank you for everything you are doing to keep the UK safe, to keep Scotland safe and to protect us.”