Babcock, Danish firms, line up frigate offer

A computer-generated image of Babcock's Arrowhead 140, displayed with a Danish flag as the company and the DFS consortium announced cooperation towards offering future air defence frigates to the RDN. (Babcock)

Babcock and Danish naval consortium, Danske Flådeskibe K/S (DFS), have signed a letter of collaboration to develop a joint UK-Danish industrial approach to bid for an unknown number of new air defence frigates for the Royal Danish Navy (RDN), DFS and Babcock announced on 19 and 20 August 2026 respectively.

The letter builds on a framework agreement established between Babcock and DFS in early 2026, the companies said. DFS brings together Odense Maritime Technology (OMT) Group, Terma, PensionDanmark and Semco Maritime, and was established to offer an integrated Danish solution for the design, construction and through-life support of future RDN vessels.

While originating in earlier contracts dating back to June 2023, in January 2026 DFS was awarded the design, construction, and maintenance contracts for five Arctic Patrol Vessels (APVs) to replace the RDN's four Thetis-class vessels. Though it is not part of the DFS consortium, Babcock has supported consortium member OMT during the basic design phase of the APV programme.

On 16 December 2025, then Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen visited Babcock's Rosyth site to see the construction of Type 31 frigates for the UK Royal Navy (RN). Babcock's Arrowhead 140 design, which formed the basis for the RN's Type 31s, came from OMT's design for Denmark's Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates, which were in turn developed from that of the RDN's Absalon-class frigates. While cited as another example of pre-existing cooperation between Babcock and DFS, it is not known how much of the Arrowhead 140 design might end up in the air defence frigate design.