Tag Archives: Type 26

Navy

HMS Glasgow

The first Type 26 City Class frigate, HMS Glasgow, has begun the float off process, which will see her enter the water for the first time.

HMS Glasgow (F88)
First Type 26 Frigate to enter the water for the first time

Over the coming days, the ship, currently weighing nearly 6,000 tonnes, will undertake a series of complex manoeuvres that will move her from the BAE Systems Govan shipyard, onto a barge before being towed down river to a deep-water location in the West of Scotland.

Once in position, the float off will involve the base of the barge being slowly submerged over a number of hours until HMS Glasgow fully enters the water. She will then return to BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard further along the Clyde, where she will undergo the next stages of outfit before test and commissioning.

Ben Wallace, Secretary of State for Defence, said: «HMS Glasgow entering the water for the first time marks a major milestone for the Type 26 programme which supports thousands of highly skilled jobs in Scotland and more across the wider UK supply chain. We’re continuing to invest in the British shipbuilding industry to maintain the Royal Navy’s cutting-edge ability to defend our nation, while strengthening our partnership with allies».

David Shepherd, Type 26 Programme Director, BAE Systems, said: «Seeing HMS Glasgow in the water for the first time will be a proud and exciting moment for the thousands of people involved in this great endeavour. She will soon transfer to our Scotstoun yard in Glasgow where we look forward to installing her complex systems and bringing her to life».

The BAE Systems engineers involved in the float off of HMS Glasgow have been specially trained using the 3D visualisation suite which gives engineers access to a full digital twin of the ship. They will monitor the ship closely throughout all stages of the process ensuring that the transition is safely managed. The float off process will also be supported by engineers from Defence Equipment & Support, the MOD delivery agent, as well as members of the Royal Navy.

The float off process is a more modern, efficient and low risk way for a ship to enter the water compared to the previous dynamic launches. The process is well proven, having been used for the five Offshore Patrol Vessels built by BAE Systems in Glasgow, the last of which was delivered to the Royal Navy in 2020.

HMS Glasgow has been under construction since steel was cut in 2017. The second and third ships, HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast, are currently in build in Govan. The build process for each ship involves its structure being completed in Govan; skilled teams of fabricators and steelworkers construct the units before they are assembled into the forward and aft blocks which are joined together before the ship departs. In Scotstoun, the ship’s outfit is completed and the complex systems are set to work before test and commissioning takes place. HMS GLASGOW will be delivered to the Royal Navy in the mid-2020s.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Defence awarded BAE Systems a £4.2 billion contract to build a further five Type 26 City Class frigates for the Royal Navy, sustaining 4,000 jobs across BAE Systems and the wider UK maritime supply chain.

Navy

City Class Type 26

The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £4.2 bn contract to BAE Systems to manufacture the next five City Class Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy in Glasgow.

City Class Type 26
BAE Systems awarded £4.2 bn contract to build five more Type 26 frigates in Glasgow

The contract sustains more than 4,000 jobs across BAE Systems and the wider UK maritime supply chain. It also secures shipbuilding at BAE Systems’ facilities in Scotland into the 2030s. Up to £1.8 bn of the new order will be spent in the supply chain, including £1.2 bn with UK suppliers.

The Type 26 is one of the world’s most advanced warships. It is designed for anti-submarine warfare and high-intensity air defence, but can adapt its role quickly to transport high volumes of humanitarian aid and house medical facilities.

Three Type 26 ships are already in build in Glasgow, with the first of class, HMS Glasgow (F88), on track to enter the water later this year and be delivered to the Royal Navy in the mid-2020s. The construction of HMS Cardiff (F89) and HMS Belfast (F90) is also underway.

«We are investing in our fleet to ensure our Royal Navy maintains its world-leading capability to protect and defend our nation at sea. This design has already been successfully exported to Australia and Canada, proving itself as a world-class maritime capability, securing thousands of UK jobs and strengthening alliances with our allies. Supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs in Scotland, and more across the wider UK supply chain, this contract will continue to boost our British shipbuilding industry, galvanising the very best of British engineering, manufacturing and design», said Ben Wallace, Secretary of State for Defence.

«This contract secures a critical UK industry and allows us to build on our long history of shipbuilding on the Clyde as we continue to deliver cutting-edge equipment to the Royal Navy into the next decade. It underpins the ongoing investments we’re making in the skills, infrastructure and technologies needed to stay at the forefront of the maritime sector and to support the UK Government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy», said Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive, BAE Systems.

The Type 26 programme is a UK-wide endeavour, with more than 120 UK suppliers having already secured contracts linked to the new batch of frigates, including for steering gears in Dunfermline, gas turbines in Filton and maritime LED lighting in Cumbria.

This year, 180 new apprentices joined the 400 already working at BAE Systems on the Type 26 programme. BAE Systems’ Naval Ships business employs 4,500 people across the UK and is recruiting a further 400 trades people as the programme continues to ramp up.

The Company is investing approximately £15 m in a new Applied Shipbuilding Academy in Glasgow to support the development of the entire workforce, from apprentices through to senior leaders. In addition, BAE Systems has applied for planning consent to start construction on a new shipbuilding hall worth more than £100 m to greatly enhance productivity on the Clyde to support the delivery of these eight ships and future orders.

The Commonwealths of Australia and Canada have selected the Type 26 design, which, together with the UK, provide an anticipated 32 ship programme across the three nations. Sharing build and transition into service lessons across all three programmes will benefit all parties in this multinational effort.

Navy

Steel cut

BAE Systems has cut steel for the second Type 26 Global Combat Ship, HMS CARDIFF, marking an important milestone in the programme to deliver the most advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability to the Royal Navy.

The hull of the Royal Navy’s second Type 26 Frigate, HMS Cardiff, has now entered construction

In a traditional steel cut ceremony at our shipyard in Govan on the River Clyde, attended by our employees and representatives from the Royal Navy, Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, Minister for Defence Procurement, performed the official duties; setting the plasma cutting machine to work on a plate of steel that will form part of the unit that holds vital fuel stores for the ship.

We have designed and built the Type 26 Global Combat Ship in Glasgow. The Type 26 frigate is an advanced ASW warship designed for the critical protection of the Continuous At Sea Deterrent and Carrier Strike Group. The City Class Type 26 will build on the pedigree of the Royal Navy’s current Type 23 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates which have served the Nation well. Each Type 26 will be equipped with a range of capabilities including the Sea Ceptor missile defence system, a 5-inch/127-mm medium calibre gun, flexible mission bay, Artisan 997 Medium Range Radar, powerful bow and towed array sonars and a vertical launch silo capable of hosting a variety of weapons.

The ceremony to mark the formal start of manufacture on the second of the Type 26 Global Combat Ships, HMS CARDIFF, comes two years after steel was cut on the first in class, HMS GLASGOW. Momentum on HMS GLASGOW continues with over one half of the ship now in production and she remains on track to enter service in the mid-2020s.

We have now marked the start of construction of seven complex warships for the UK Royal Navy in just five years, with HMS CARDIFF following her sister ship, HMS GLASGOW, and the five River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV). All five OPVs are now in the water with the first, HMS FORTH, already in active operation for the Royal Navy.

Defence Procurement Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP said: «The Royal Navy’s new world beating Type 26 anti-submarine frigates are truly a UK-wide enterprise, supporting thousands of jobs here in Scotland and across the UK. These ships will clearly contribute to UK and allied security, but also make a strong economic contribution to the country. With 64 sub-contracts already placed with UK-based businesses, there will be new export opportunities for them to tender for through the selection of the Type 26 design by Australia and Canada too».

We are working alongside 80 companies across the UK and international supply chain to deliver the programme, helping to sustain 4,000 jobs across the UK and providing a foundation for work on the Clyde into the next decade.

Commenting on today’s significant milestone, Steve Timms, Managing Director, BAE Systems Naval Ships, said: «Today’s steel cut ceremony demonstrates the significant and positive progress we are making on this hugely complex, sophisticated and important programme. The Type 26 ships will be the most advanced anti-submarine warfare frigates the Royal Navy has ever had and, together with the five-ship River Class Offshore Patrol Vessel programme, we are proud of the role we play at BAE Systems, alongside many thousands of dedicated people in our supply chain, to deliver this critical capability for the UK Royal Navy».

The Global Combat Ship supports a close partnership between the UK Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Australian Navy, all of whom have selected a variant of the Type 26 design for their anti-submarine frigate programmes, supporting greater operational, training and intelligence ties.

Steel cut ceremony signals important progress on UK Royal Navy programme
Navy

Cutting-edge warship

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced HMS Edinburgh as the name of a cutting-edge British warship on the eve of St Andrew’s Day.

New frigate named HMS Edinburgh
New frigate named HMS Edinburgh

The submarine-hunting state-of-the-art frigate builds on the city’s proud naval history and is the seventh warship to carry the name.

And as the eighth frigate to be named in the future Type 26 fleet, Edinburgh will be built on the Clyde as part of a £3.7bn programme that will sustain 4,000 jobs. HMS Edinburgh will be at the forefront of the nation’s world-leading navy, providing unrivalled capability at sea.

The Defence Secretary marked the announcement with Councillor Jason Rust, Bailie for the Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh at the Nelson Monument and museum on Edinburgh’s Calton Hill.

Speaking during a visit to Edinburgh, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: «The new HMS Edinburgh is a symbol of the United Kingdom’s future global ambition, but also the important role Scotland plays in shipbuilding and the national security of our country. Her cutting-edge capabilities will ensure that the UK remains a world-leader at sea, protecting our national interests and promoting global peace. Built on more than 300 years of proud naval history, HMS Edinburgh will play a crucial role in defending our nation for decades to come».

The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Frank Ross, said: «The last HMS Edinburgh famously retired from the Royal Navy’s fleet in 2013. Five years later, we are thrilled a new ship will be named in the city’s honour. Built on centuries of history, she will be the seventh ship to carry the HMS Edinburgh title. It will be a truly Scottish ship – built on the Clyde – and I hope she will visit us in the Port of Leith on her maiden voyage when the time comes. We’ve always enjoyed strong ties with the Royal Navy and the many hundreds of personnel who have served aboard the HMS Edinburgh vessels over the years. I’m sure the new ship will reinforce this bond».

The first ship to carry the name HMS Edinburgh was a fifth-rate ship, which was transferred into the Royal Navy in 1707. The last was a Type 42 destroyer, which was decommissioned in 2013 after deployments to the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf.

Royal Navy ships carrying the name Edinburgh have won nine battle honours between them, with five being awarded during the Second World War.

Scotland is already crucial to the United Kingdom’s defence capabilities, being home to the RAF’s Quick Reaction Alert interceptors and submarine-hunting Maritime Patrol Aircraft flying from Lossiemouth, and soon to the be home to the entire Royal Navy Submarine Service from 2020.

More than 10,000 sailors, soldiers and air personnel are also living permanently in Scotland, supported by 8,000 reservists and civilians.

Meanwhile, the Scottish industry benefits from £1.59bn of defence spending every year – supporting 10,500 private sector jobs – and just last year the Defence Board confirmed £1.7 billion would be invested to upgrade Scottish military bases over the next decade.

All the Type 26 frigates will be built on the Clyde, supported by suppliers across the country and securing decades of work for more than 4,000 people. The first three ships, HMS Glasgow, HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast, have already been ordered for £3.7bn. HMS Edinburgh will join HMS Birmingham, HMS Sheffield, HMS Newcastle and HMS London as part of the second batch of Type 26 warships.

The first Type 26 warship, HMS Glasgow, will enter service in the mid-2020s.

Navy

Production begins

BAE Systems welcomed Sir Michael Fallon MP, Secretary of State for Defence, to its Glasgow shipyard to press the button to start production of the first of the new Type 26 Global Combat Ships for the UK Royal Navy. During his speech, the Defence Secretary unveiled the name of the first ship as HMS Glasgow.

Production begins in Glasgow for the first Royal Navy Type 26 Global Combat Ship
Production begins in Glasgow for the first Royal Navy Type 26 Global Combat Ship

This ceremonial event follows the UK Government’s recent award of a contract worth c£3.7bn for the first three ships to be built at BAE Systems’ sites in Glasgow. This builds on the work already underway to construct five River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels and provides a strong foundation for the next two decades of shipbuilding in Scotland, securing more than 4,000 jobs across BAE Systems and its UK maritime supply chain.

During the visit to BAE Systems’ shipyard in Glasgow, Defence Secretary, Sir Michael said: «Today marks yet another historic milestone for the Royal Navy, Scottish shipbuilding and UK Defence more widely. Glasgow will protect our powerful new aircraft carriers and nuclear deterrent, keeping British interests safe across the world. The Type 26 is a cutting-edge warship that will maintain our naval power with a truly global reach. Designed for a service life of at least 25 years, the Type 26 Frigates will form a backbone of the future Royal Navy surface fleet into the 2060s».

The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be a world-class anti-submarine warfare ship, replacing the Type 23 anti-submarine variant frigates, with the first ship due to be delivered to the Royal Navy in the mid 2020s. Globally deployable, the flexible mission bay, aviation facilities and combat systems ensure it will be capable of undertaking a wide range of roles from high intensity warfare to humanitarian assistance, either operating independently or as part of a task group. We are exploring potential export opportunities where we have strong interest from international customers.

Type 26 is cutting edge in terms of its capability and benefits from the latest advances in digital technologies, including 3D and virtual reality, to ensure that the ship’s design is refined earlier in the process.  This has enabled BAE Systems to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy to ensure every zone of the ship has the requirements of its crew at the heart of the design.

Commenting on this important announcement, Iain Stevenson, Managing Director, BAE Systems Naval Ships said: «This is an extremely proud day for our employees across the UK and our wider UK maritime supply chain. Providing our customers with next generation platforms and technologies that give them an essential edge is what inspires us. Working with the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy we have designed the Type 26 in a fully digital environment and have now seen her through the eyes of her crew in a 3D environment. Through this approach we have a mature ship design that is ready for manufacture».

 

General Characteristics

Builder BAE Systems
Propulsion 2 electric motors, 4 high speed diesel generators, 1 gas turbine
Length 489 feet/149 m
Beam 68 feet/20.8 m
Displacement approximately 6,900 tonnes
Speed 26+ knots/30+ mph/48+ km/h
Range In excess of 7,000 NM/8,055 miles/12,964 km
Crew 157
Accommodation Up to 208, including Embarked Forces
Flexible mission bay Space for 10 × 20 feet/3 × 6 m ISO containers or boats and unmanned vehicles
Flight deck Capable of landing a Chinook helicopter

 

Navy

Maritime Indirect Fires

BAE Systems on September 15, 2015 confirmed its selection as preferred bidder by the U.K. Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide the gun system, known as the Maritime Indirect Fires System (MIFS), for the Type 26 Global Combat Ship. This follows the MOD’s £859 million Demonstration Phase contract for the Type 26 program that was awarded to BAE Systems earlier this year.

Maritime Indirect Fires System (MIFS) Mark-45 Mod 4
Maritime Indirect Fires System (MIFS) Mark-45 Mod 4

Subject to contract award, BAE Systems will provide the MIFS Integrated Gunnery System (IGS), which includes the 5-inch/127-mm, 62-caliber Mark-45 Mod 4 Naval Gun System, along with an automated Ammunition Handling System, Gun Fire Control System, and qualified ammunition.

«The Mark-45 is at the center of our MIFS solution and will provide the Royal Navy with a low-risk, low-cost, and highly effective automatic weapon system», said Joe Senftle, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. «It combines the benefits of a mature, reliable, and proven system with the capacity to deliver the full range of ammunition available today and in development».

BAE Systems has begun work in support of the overall Type 26 development design effort and, earlier this year, participated in Mark-45 technical briefings between the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy on board the USS Winston Churchill in Portsmouth, U.K. The event gave members of the Royal Navy the opportunity to further experience the gun system’s features and capabilities.

The world-leading Mark-45 is in service with the U.S. Navy and 10 other allied nations. More than 240 Mark-45 guns have been delivered into service globally, benefiting engineering and manufacturing capabilities around the world.

With business and service teams in the United States and the United Kingdom, BAE Systems brings unrivalled skills and experience to the Type 26 Global Combat Ship.

The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will replace the capability of the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates with a multi-mission warship capable of undertaking a wide range of roles from high intensity warfare to humanitarian assistance, either operating independently or as part of a task group. Designed with an acoustically quiet hull, the ship is being designed to be supportable and upgradeable as new technology develops to ensure that it remains relevant to the future demands of the maritime environment.

Type 26 Global Combat Ship, Design concept only
Type 26 Global Combat Ship, Design concept only

 


BAE Systems has revealed the latest images of the Royal Navy’s Type 26 Global Combat Ship, which will replace the Type 23 frigate as the workhorse of the Fleet

 

 

Navy

Type 26

BAE Systems has awarded the first equipment manufacturing contracts for the Type 26 Global Combat Ships (GCSs), worth in excess of £170 million. With the contracts awarded to seven companies in the supply chain, there are now more than 1,250 people across the UK working on the programme to deliver the Royal Navy’s next generation warships.

The first vessel is due to enter service as soon as possible after 2020
The first vessel is due to enter service as soon as possible after 2020

The contracts, awarded from the Demonstration Phase contract funding, cover key equipment such as propulsion, communications and electrical systems for the first three Type 26 ships. The commitment to long lead items keeps the programme on track and means the equipment will be delivered to Glasgow at the point it is needed in the ship’s manufacturing phase, which is expected to begin next year. The contracts include the creation of onshore testing facilities to test the equipment prior to installation on the ships. The contracts are awarded to:

  • Babcock for the ship’s air weapons handling system;
  • David Brown Gear Systems Ltd for the propulsion gearbox and the test facility;
  • General Electric (GE) Power Conversion for the electric propulsion motor and drive system and testing facility;
  • Raytheon for the integrated navigation and bridge system;
  • Rolls Royce Power Engineering for the gas turbine;
  • Rohde & Schwarz UK Ltd for the communications systems;
  • WR Davis for the uptakes and downtakes.
Type 26 Global Combat Ship, Design concept only
Type 26 Global Combat Ship, Design concept only

BAE Systems has also confirmed a subcontract to its Combat Systems team for the Meteorological and Oceanographic (METOC) system, which collates and analyses environmental information to support operations.

Geoff Searle, Type 26 Programme Director at BAE Systems, said: «Today’s announcement is exciting for everyone involved in the Type 26 programme, as it will enable our partners in the supply chain to start manufacturing key equipment for the first three ships. This reinforces the strong momentum behind the programme and is an important step towards the start of manufacturing the Type 26 ships for the Royal Navy in Glasgow next year».

These contracts are helping to support the UK’s vibrant industrial base, as Steve Watson, Managing Director, David Brown Gear Systems Ltd, explains: «The contract to supply the gearboxes for the Type 26 ships is the largest single order in our firm’s 150 history. As a result of our involvement in this programme, we have made significant investments in our infrastructure and we have transformed a semi-derelict area of our Huddersfield site into new state of the art manufacturing, assembly and test facilities. This means we can provide the latest generation of gearing technology to the Royal Navy’s Type 26 ships and it creates a strong platform to secure future orders across the defence, oil and gas, and power generation sectors».

Type 26 Global Combat Ship
Type 26 Global Combat Ship

The £859 million Demonstration Phase contract for the Type 26 programme began in April 2015. The new manufacturing contracts build on the existing 15 design development agreements across the supply chain, which means that a total of 17 companies across the UK, Europe and Canada already have contracts in place under the Type 26 programme. A joint team from BAE Systems, the Ministry of Defence, and the supply chain are working together to complete the detailed design for the ships, procure key equipment and prepare the manufacturing proposal to be submitted to the Ministry of Defence.

Under current planning assumptions, 13 Type 26 ships will be delivered to the Royal Navy. The first vessel is due to enter service in the early 2020s and the Type 26 class will remain in service into the middle of this century and beyond.

The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be a globally deployable, multi-mission warship capable of undertaking a wide range of roles from high intensity warfare to humanitarian assistance, either operating independently or as part of a task group. The ship will take full advantage of modular design and open systems architecture, ensuring it can be easily upgraded as new technology develops and can accommodate different sub-systems and equipment suited to potential overseas customer needs.

 

Latest footage of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship