Production on the first of the new Type 26 Global Combat Ships for the UK Royal Navy began with the push of a button last month at the BAE Systems shipyard in Glasgow, Scotland.
BAE Systems welcomed Sir Michael Fallon MP, Secretary of State for Defense, to its Glasgow facility to signal the start of production following the UK Government’s recent award of a contract for the first three ships to be built in this series. This advances 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. During his speech, the Defense Secretary unveiled the name of the first ship as Glasgow.
The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be a world-class anti-submarine warfare vessel, replacing the Type 23 anti-submarine variant frigates, with the premier 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.
The ship 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 Defense and the Royal Navy to ensure every zone of the ship has the requirements of its crew at the heart of the design.
