Work begins in Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigate HMS Formidable

With a blinding arc of light as the laser cutter sliced through steel plate, work started this week on the Royal Navy’s new frigate HMS Formidable. Watched by political, military and business leaders – as well as the hundreds of skilled engineers and technicians – local MP Graeme Downie pressed the button to set the machine in motion at Babcock’s state-of-the-art facility in Rosyth.