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Arrowhead 140 Arrowhead 140 is a frigate design produced by Babcock International and developed in the United Kingdom for surface combatant roles. The design has been proposed to navies and shipbuilders including Royal Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal Danish Navy, and export customers such as Royal Canadian Navy and Hellenic Navy. It is positioned among contemporary frigate programs like the Type 26 frigate, FREMM, and MEKO families and competes with designs from Navantia, Fincantieri, and Korean Register-associated yards.
The design emerged from a collaboration between Babcock International and naval architecture practices influenced by prior projects such as Type 23 frigate and Daring-class destroyer (Type 45). Development involved inputs from naval institutes including QinetiQ, technology partners like Rolls-Royce, and systems suppliers such as Thales Group and BAE Systems. The concept aimed to meet requirements similar to those in procurement programs like National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy and the NATO frigate requirements while addressing lessons from operations in Operation Atalanta, Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014), and multinational exercises such as Northern Coasts and FORMIDABLE SHIELD.
Dimensions and displacement follow contemporary frigate norms influenced by FREMM and Type 26 frigate benchmarks, yielding a hull suited to the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea environments. The design accounts for aviation facilities compatible with helicopters like the AgustaWestland AW101 and NHIndustries NH90 as well as unmanned systems akin to platforms used by Royal Australian Navy. Survivability and signature reduction draw on practices from Zumwalt-class destroyer stealth concepts and US Navy damage-control standards influenced by SOLAS-type regulation frameworks.
Propulsion options proposed include combined diesel-electric and gas arrangements similar to CODLAG and CODOG systems used on Type 23 frigate and Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Prime mover candidates have included gas turbines from Rolls-Royce MT30 lineage and diesel engines from MAN Energy Solutions along with electric propulsion modules influenced by Siemens AG and General Electric. Power generation and distribution plans accommodate future high-energy weapons and sensors in line with concepts demonstrated by Zumwalt-class destroyer and research at Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.
Weapon fit envisages vertical-launch systems comparable to Mk 41 Vertical Launching System and point-defense missiles like the Sea Ceptor/CAMM family used by Royal Navy. Main gun options reference the BAE Systems 5-inch gun and OTO Melara 76 mm for naval gunfire support. Anti-ship and anti-surface capabilities draw on missile families such as Harpoon (missile), Exocet, and proposals referencing RGM-84 Harpoon-class concepts. Anti-submarine warfare systems include torpedo launchers similar to those deployed by Royal Netherlands Navy and towed-array sonar suites from Thales Group and Ultra Electronics. Sensor suites include radar solutions analogous to SMART-L and Sea Giraffe systems, and electronic warfare equipment from suppliers like BAE Systems and Leonardo S.p.A..
Construction concepts were pitched to major yards including Babcock Rosyth, BAE Systems Surface Ships, Navantia, Fincantieri, and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Modular construction techniques reflect approaches used in FREMM and MEKO programs and industrial strategies from the National Shipbuilding Strategy (Canada). Subcontractors and equipment providers include Thales Group, MTU Friedrichshafen, Rolls-Royce, Raytheon, and Honeywell for integrated platform systems and combat management similar to those in HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) and HMS Prince of Wales (R09) projects.
As a design concept, operational history is tied to export competitions and evaluation trials rather than deployments. It has been discussed in procurement contexts alongside contenders for the Canadian Surface Combatant program, the Royal Navy future fleet studies, and proposals to the Hellenic Navy and Royal Danish Navy modernization efforts. Engagements with government procurement bodies such as United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization, and National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces shaped adoption debates similar to past contests like those for Type 26 frigate and FREMM competitions.
Variants proposed include anti-submarine warfare-optimized and general-purpose configurations comparable to export packages offered by Fincantieri for Bergamini-class frigate derivatives and by Navantia for the F-100 family. Export proposals targeted markets in Canada, Greece, Chile, and Denmark, with customization options mirroring approaches used in MEKO exports and technology transfer models seen with Type 26 frigate talks. Industrial participation and offset arrangements were proposed to follow patterns from past deals involving BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin.
Category:Frigates