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Plans for new Royal Navy warships were plunged into disarray today after defence chiefs were forced to ditch a high-profile project.

The Type 31e light frigate was trumpeted by ministers as a cheap replacement for an ageing fleet of anti-submarine vessels.

Thirteen, Type 23, Duke-class frigates are being retired and replaced by just eight Type 26 Global Combat Ships.

Ministers hoped to make up the shortfall in the Senior Service with five, £250million smaller ships which they branded the Type 31e.

The “e” highlighted their hope to export it to allies.

But experts warned the budget for designing and building a brand new warship was too low - and just one firm was able to make a viable bid.

(Image: PA)

Now, the Ministry of Defence has been forced to relaunch the competition to create a ship.

But the £250million budget will stay the same.

A spokeswoman insisted: “There have been no changes in our plans to procure a first batch of five new Type 31e frigates to grow our Royal Navy.

“We still want the first ship delivered by 2023 and are confident that industry will meet the challenge of providing them for the price tag we’ve set.

“This is an early contract in a wider procurement process, and we will incorporate the lessons learned and begin again as soon as possible so the programme can continue at pace.”

While officials refused to reveal details of the bids received, citing commercial sensitivity, it is understood just one came in at the £250million limit.

Sources said the single bid made an “effective and robust competition” impossible.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

The revelation is the latest blow to the Navy.

Six Type 45 destroyers need urgent repairs to their engines after they kept breaking down.

And retired top brass warn the worrying size of the Fleet, stripped of dozens of ships in recent decades, could leave the flagship Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and her sister ship Prince of Wales vulnerable if they ever go to war, because there would be too few escort ships.

SNP defence spokesman Stewart McDonald said: “The Ministry of Defence has been unable to answer the most basic questions about the cost of this new Type 31e frigates and today they have had to own up to their own chaotic failures.

“This has deeply serious consequences for our naval defence capabilities and the future of the shipbuilding across the UK .

“The MoD now has questions to answer about the disarray of their naval capabilities.

“How small will the Royal Navy Fleet be and for how long will it be depleted?

“Are the UK Government going to stick to their budget of £250million per vessel and will they now have to invest in extending the life of the Type 23 frigates?

“This is an utter mess and the Tories only have themselves to blame.”