THE Scottish Government has welcomed the selection of engineering giant Babcock as the preferred bidder for the £1.25 billion contract to build a new fleet of Royal Navy frigates.

The five ships will be assembled at its Rosyth Dockyard in Fife and will involve supply chains throughout the UK.

More than 2500 jobs across the UK are expected to be supported as a result of the Type 31 programme, including 150 jobs for new technical apprenticeships.

The firm said work on the fleet will begin immediately once the formal contract is awarded later this financial year, with detailed design work first and manufacture starting in 2021.

“I am delighted that Babcock has been selected as preferred bidder for the £1.25bn contract to build five Type 31 frigates and look forward to working with them to maximise the benefits for Scotland, Rosyth and our supply chain,” said Scotland’s Economy Secretary Derek Mackay.

“This contract will secure work at Rosyth for the next decade and the awarding of this contract is a testament to the skilled workforce and expertise which we have in Scotland.

“I have spoken with Babcock this morning to assure them they have the full support of the Scottish Government.

The SNP’s Douglas Chapman, MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, also welcomed the announcement, though warned that the contract does not mask the reality of the UK Government’s wider failure to deliver on promises for Scotland’s shipyards.

He said: “The Type 31 frigates are a fraction of the size and cost of the fleet that were promised to Scottish yards before the 2014 independence referendum, and we cannot accept that these ships are part of the pledge made by the UK Government at that time.”

The UK has committed to buying at least five of the low-cost warships for the Royal Navy, with the first vessel expected to be in the water by 2023. The average production cost is £250 million per ship.

The Ministry of Defence aims to award the contract by the end of the year.

Archie Bethel, Babcock chief executive, said: “Driven by innovation and backed by experience and heritage, Arrowhead 140 is a modern warship that will meet the maritime threats of today and tomorrow, with British ingenuity and engineering at its core.

“It provides a flexible, adaptable platform that delivers value for money and supports the UK’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.

“Arrowhead 140 will offer the Royal Navy a new class of ship with a proven ability to deliver a range of peacekeeping, humanitarian and war-fighting capabilities whilst offering communities and supply chains throughout the UK a wide range of economic and employment opportunities.”

The vessels will be fitted with the world-leading Sea Ceptor missile system, a range of highly advanced weapon and sensor systems and a combat system with a 4D air and surface surveillance and target indication radar.

They frigates will also have capabilities to operate with a Merlin or Wildcat helicopter.