Refits of Type 23 frigates by defence contractor Babcock are now taking up to four years
Labour has slammed “unacceptable” years-long delays to overhauls of Royal Navy frigates, heaping pressure on new defence secretary Grant Shapps to clear the backlog.
Refits of the Navy’s Type 23 frigates by defence contractor Babcock are now taking up to four years, official figures show, compared to 18 months on average a decade ago.
The increasingly long refits of the submarine hunting ships threaten to scupper the deployment of a vessel meant to guard aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Figures revealed in Parliament by defence minister James Cartlidge show that the last five refits of Type 23s by Babcock have taken an average of 39 months to complete.