The bow of HMS Glasgow – the first City Class Type 26 frigate being built for the Royal Navy – has been rolled out of the build hall at BAE Systems shipyard on the River Clyde.
In a move that lasted 90 minutes, the forward section of the warship that contains the bridge, operations room and accommodation spaces, was manoeuvred into position on the hardstand at the Govan yard, where it will be joined by the aft section in the coming weeks.
The bow was rolled into position at the BAE Systems yard in Govan, where it will be joined to the aft section soon. HMS Glasgow is expected to begin sea trials by 2025 as the first in a new generation of frigates for the RN.
A £3.7 billion ($5.17 million) contract to manufacture the first batch of three Type 26 frigates was awarded in July 2017, and Shephard Defence Insight estimates the total cost for eight ships at £8 billion.
Type 26 is designed for a wide variety of ASW and other operations, in particular protection of the UK RN continuous at-sea deterrent and Carrier Strike Group.
A total of eight ships will replace Type 23 frigates in RN service. Each new vessel will be equipped with the Sea Ceptor missile defence system, a 5-inch medium-calibre gun, flexible mission bay, Artisan 997 medium-range radar and towed array sonars.
The flight deck will accommodate helicopters up to the size of a Chinook and the mission bay can be used to house and deploy vessels, vehicles and containers.
The Type 26 build programme aligns with the UK National Shipbuilding Strategy, which supports increased production of commercial and naval vessels, including the development of the City class.
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