Three teams shortlisted to build new warships in UK

摘要

Three shipbuilding teams have been awarded multimil-lion-pound contracts to push ahead with plans to build five new Type 31 e warships in the UK for the Royal Navy, Defence Minister Stuart Andrew has announced.The Minister revealed that teams led by BAE Systems, Babcock and Atlas Elektronik UK have been shortlisted for the competition to build the five frigates for £1.25 billion (US$1.5 billion).Each group has been awarded a contract worth up to £5 million to fund the next stage of their plans, with the preferred bidder for the design and manufacture of the ships due to be announced by the end of 2019. The Ministry of Defence wants the first ship delivered in 2023.Speaking at Her Majesty's Naval Base in Portsmouth in early December, the minister said: "This is the first frigate competition the UK has run in a generation, and we are funding three shipbuilding teams with extremely exciting concepts to continue developing their plans."This year we will announce the winning bidder, and one of these designs will go on to bolster our future fleet with five new ships, creating UK jobs and ensuring our Royal Navy maintains a truly global presence in an increasingly uncertain world."