New Type 26 Frigate for RN

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New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by RussF172 »

They seem to be getting uglier each time they design one. This is the new Type 26 Frigate just approved by the Ministry of Defence for the RN. Lots of comments already flying around about the design. No news on weapons apart from what can be seen which appears to be a 57mm gun (maybe 4.5inch) and a PHALANX CIWS. Probably VLS, SSM and Torpedoes all hidden under the stealthy superstructure.
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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by thunderchild »

Good Day All

I agree, modern ships are getting uglier. See link below.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19312378

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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by MichaelB »

The bow looks like it has been knicked from a Type 23.

Why not build a frigate variant on the Type 45 hull. The the problems would have been sorted out, room for expansion & a tried hull. Surely would be cheaper.
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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by SlatsSSN »

MichaelB wrote:The bow looks like it has been knicked from a Type 23.

Why not build a frigate variant on the Type 45 hull. The the problems would have been sorted out, room for expansion & a tried hull. Surely would be cheaper.
Indeed - but alas such common sense is absent in the UK's cost cutting measures.
i.e.e.g - Trashing at below spare parts cost - brand new and or newly updated Harriers.

Biggest problem I have with the look of this ship is the hull. Looks likes its been influenced by the Brandenburg Class (yes I know that's quite different).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_class_frigate But to me it looks very Germanic, - not a good look for RN. Bit like Jaguar releasing a new car that was dead ringer for an M5.
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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by MikeJames »

She actually looks a lot like a Type 21 run through the 'stealth CAD program'

Similar in shape, layout and looks, just steath-ised. (Yes, I know that's not a word, bite me.)

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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by littoralcombat »

Just announced, the first RN Type 26 Frigate will be named HMS Glasgow. So looks like it will likely be a Class of 'Cities'. Hopefully my Home Town of Plymouth will get a look-in. Maybe another Sheffield and Coventry? :tup:
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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by MikeJames »

Latest info is that the RN hopes to have a surface to surface missile to place on her by the time the first one commissions.

They are taking Harpoon out of service without a replacement, instead pinning their hopes on an Anglo-French design in collaboration with MBDA.

Most optimistic forecast is first tests in three years with in-service in five years. More likely, five to test and seven+ to be available for fitting to these ships.

Why they couldn't do what we did and spend a whole $30m on Block II upgrade kits for the existing Block 1C Harpoon missiles to extend their lives significantly, I have no idea.

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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by phillip08 »

Things should get exciting on the Frigate project very soon, the full tenders are due in early next month. Its down to a three way race - Navantia, Fincantieri & BAE-Systems.
Looking a the media articles that have started to appear this week on both the Frigates and the OPV's the battle is going to be hard fought and way to close to guess at the outcome.

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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by rritchie71 »

I look forward to seeing the outcome Phil.
Whilst I have my own favorite, more than anything I am happy we are building up the RAN fleet again. Not to mention the modelling options this creates for us....:)

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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by MikeJames »

I wouldn't exactly call it building up the RAN.

The OPVs won't be 'real' warships, with extremely limited armament and command and control capabilities, in effect oversized Armidale replacements with a helo capability (and who in their right mind builds a ship that large and doesn't fit a hangar?).

Sticking to real warships then a few years ago we had 6 x FFG and 8 x Anzac = 14 frigates.

Right now we have 8 x Anzac and 3 x FFG = 11 frigates

In a few years we will 3 x AWD and 8 x Anzac = 11 frigates (The AWD is really a frigate)

In a decade or more we will have 3 x AWD and 9 x Future Frigates = 12 frigates.

Hardly building it up.

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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by rritchie71 »

Thanks Mike.

Keep us in the loop of what happens Phil, look forward to reading about it.

Cheers

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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by MikeJames »

A bit of a reality check for the Type 26.

The UK is paying over 1.5 billion pounds per boat for the capability to take a single gun and a yet to be developed short range surface to air missile system to sea.

The ships have no surface to surface missile system with Harpoon leaving service, the Phalanx is currently scheduled to be removed from service prior to the first Type 26 entering service while the ASW torpedoes are only coming available as they are stripped from Type 23 frigates as they don't have either new torpedoes nor launchers, nor the money to pay for them.

Oh and the gun is likely to be recycled from the Type 23 frigates as well, because the UK can't afford to develop or build a new gun, instead going with a refurbished weapon which dates back to the 1960s. The guns from the Type 23s to be fitted to the Type 26s are from the earliest ships to be decomissioned and thus will only be 35 years old when fitted.

The helicopters to operate off them are the new Lynx Wildcats, so at least there's something.

How in gods name did the Royal Navy get itself into this mess?

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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by southerncrossmodels »

Hi Mike,

World Wars 1 and 2 broke the British treasury and her world power, it's all been down hill from there (for her defence forces at least).

Her defence forces are going backwards to being in proportion to her size as a nation, I believe. Like she was before the Romans invaded. ;)
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Tim Amos.

It is not always how big the ship is. It's often how large the hearts are of the men who sail her, that takes a ship to greatness, God bless.:)
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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by littoralcombat »

All the names of the eight RN Type 26 City Class Frigates are now confirmed as:

HMS Glasgow
HMS Cardiff
HMS Belfast
HMS Birmingham
HMS Sheffield
HMS Newcastle
HMS London
HMS Edinburgh

Some history there, nice to see Sheffield, but Coventry missed out (as did my hometown of Plymouth :no: ).
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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by MikeJames »

An interesting piece of concept art, the Type 26 design shown next to the WW2 cruiser Belfast which rests in the Thames across from the Tower of London.

That's a really...large frigate.

Image

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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by littoralcombat »

A few months old now (Sept 2019), but an interesting report from DSEI 2019 in London.
The TX Ship,specifically the concept behind it, is something the US Navy is looking at for the future. Autonomous platforms.

Watch the video fourth image down.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... alf-built/

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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by MikeJames »

The RN has a significant problem with their Type 26 frigates.

The facility that is building them in Glasgow is not large enough to build the whole ship in one go, so they are building the hull in two parts. The first half is built and moved outside, then the second is built and moved out to join the first, where the two halves are welded together and the ships starts fit out.

Unfortunately, this is the north of the UK we're talking about, and the weather is causing the welds to deform, weakening the entire structure and raising concerns about the ships safety and durability.


“To answer your specific question, I was up on the Clyde a couple of months ago, being shown around the ship, and I was shown the problems they had with weld deformation. If you think about the steel at the base of the ship compared with the steel at the top of the ship and the difference in gauge of that, it is an extremely complex structure. They have a big problem with the welds deforming, because of changes in temperature and the climate. They are building it outside, in Glasgow, so it is not a great surprise, to be honest.

So said Ian Waddell, General Secretary of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions.

The answer is to build the entire ship in one piece, but apparently that's not really possible as the site is quite constrained and has little expansion space. They could lengthen the main construction hall, but that would require demolishing heritage buildings, so that's unlikely too.

The argument being made against the expansion of the hall is that as the RN is only building 8 ships, of which the first 5 have been ordered. There have been suggestions that a change of government in the UK may see the remaining 3 cancelled for more of the cheaper Type 31/32 design. If so, the argument goes, why spend the money to expand the hall when there's only 4 more hulls to go?

Oh how the mighty UK shipbuilding industry has fallen.

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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by MikeJames »

First RN Type 26, HMS Glasgow, at least 12 months late

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Vice-Admiral Sir Chris Gardner, Director General (Ships) at DE&S confirmed the first Type 26 frigate, HMS Glasgow was 12 months behind schedule. This has been caused by three main issues: COVID, “Inadequate engineering maturity” and problems with the supply chain.

While the impact of COVID was unavoidable, the engineering issues are harder for BAE Systems to explain. The five OPVs built in Glasgow at an inflated price were supposed to subsidise the yard to re-baseline its shipbuilding skills. After the serious construction mistakes with HMS Forth, promises were made that “lessons would be learned” and BAES were also very keen to highlight how its digital shipyard technologies would drive efficiency. The 10-year construction plan for HMS Glasgow was already pretty leisurely. An optimist might hope that if the integration work at Scotstoun goes more smoothly than the construction phase, the ship could still meet the 2026/7 delivery schedule.

The supply chain issue mainly relates to the late delivery of the gearboxes built by David Brown Santasalo in Huddersfield. As long-lead items, the development of these sophisticated and ultra-quiet gearboxes has been underway for many years, including constructing a land-based test rig. Late delivery meant HMS Glasgow was rolled out of the build hall without the gearboxes which had to be fitted by cutting the hull open and skidding them into place on the hard standing. The Defence Secretary said they had been in touch with the supplier [David Brown] and “read them the riot act” as their products are fundamental to the whole Type 26 project, including in Australia and Canada.

The MoD will contribute to the cost of the new covered build hall at the Govan shipyard, although BAES is expected to make the main investment. The new facility is intended to allow the construction of 2 complete ships side by side, negating the need for outside working and speeding up the delivery of the second batch of Type 26. Plans to extend the Shipbuilding Outfit Hall to the rear were thwarted by planning restrictions relating to historic buildings. A second option to drain the adjacent wet basin and build a separate larger hall on the site are in an early stage of planning and approvals.
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Re: New Type 26 Frigate for RN

Post by MikeJames »

The first Type 26 City Class frigate, HMS Glasgow, has entered the water for the first time.

03 Dec 2022

The first-in-class ship is now at the BAE Systems shipyard in Scotstoun, Glasgow, where outfitting will be completed. HMS Glasgow will then start sea trials ahead of her commissioning with the Royal Navy.

The future frigate was previously loaded on a barge at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard and moved down river to a deep-water location in the West of Scotland to be floated. She then was towed back up the Clyde River to the yard.

Image

BAE Systems said on its LinkedIn account: “Today is a momentous and proud occasion for the Type 26 programme and our colleagues at BAE Systems Maritime, with HMS Glasgow, the First of Class, arriving at our shipyard in Scotstoun having successfully entered the water last night. Her time in Scotstoun will be spent finishing her outfit before test and commissioning takes place.”

The British shipbuilder explained in a press release last week: 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.

The first three ships, HMS Glasgow, HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast, were ordered for £3.7 billion. HMS Edinburgh, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle and London will form the second batch of Type 26 warships.
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