Our shipyards in Glasgow are building new vessels for the Royal Navy, known as the Type 26 City-class frigate, will be multi-mission warships, designed to replace the UK’s Type 23 frigates. The new class will be used in anti-submarine warfare, air defence, and humanitarian assistance anywhere on the world’s oceans. Three of the eight frigates are currently under construction by BAE Systems. The first of the class, HMS Glasgow, was rolled out of the build hall into the open air for the first time in May 2021, while progress on the second ship, HMS Cardiff, continues at pace at the Company’s shipyards in Glasgow.
In June 2021, His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge set the plasma cutting machine to work on the first plate of steel for the third frigate, HMS Belfast. The Type 26 programme supports more than 4,000 jobs across the UK and is making a significant contribution to the nation’s economic recovery by maintaining key skills and capabilities. To date, more than £1 billion has been invested across the programme’s supply chain, with more than 100 suppliers globally.