Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the service life of a Type 23 frigate is.

The Type 23 frigates have been in service since the 1980s and were originally designed with an 18-year life span. They have over the last thirty years become the mainstay of Royal Navy operations and are flexible vessels that have proven their versatility in warfighting, peacekeeping and maritime security operations around the globe. The Type 23 frigates are continually being updated and upgraded to meet new threats or to replace obsolete technology. This is achieved via a Through Life Management Plan.

On current plans the last Type 23 frigate will transition out of service in 2035.