MoD to plough £472m into next generation of ‘highly advanced’ battle ships

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed plans to invest a further £472m in the Royal Navy’s Type 26 Global Combat Ship project.

The nine-figure boost will allow the MoD to continue to drive the programme through its demonstration phase, invest in additional design work, purchase new equipment and create a number of shore-based testing centres.

While the programme is centred on the Clyde, it is estimated that the investment boost will benefit suppliers across the country, particularly firms in Midlothian, Fife, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, West Yorkshire, Warwickshire, Hampshire, Bristol and Dorset.

Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, commented: “These highly advanced ships will help keep Britain safe and support our ship-building industry.

“Investing in them is part of our plan to increase defence spending so our Armed Forces have the most modern equipment they need.”

Equipment purchases with the MoD cash will include diesel generators, sonar domes used in anti-submarine detection systems, helicopter handling equipment, mission bay side doors to allow for the loading and unloading of supplies and equipment, and elements of the ship’s navigational systems.

The new shore-based testing centres, meanwhile, will work to assess both the ship’s combat system and its power and propulsion systems.

Eventually, the Type 26 Global Combat Ship will replace the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates, which includes the HMS Iron Duke and the HMS Argyll, and is forecast to be active into the 2050s.

Tony Douglas, the chief executive of the MoD’s procurement organisation, Defence Equipment and Support, said: “We have a long history of delivering complex warships in the UK and as a result of today’s announcement we will continue to develop a clear way forward for the Type 26 Global Combat Ship Programme that reflects the recent Strategic Defence and Security Review, in which the design is further matured while extending the engagement of the wider UK supply chain.”

In addition to the new Type 26 warships, the Royal Navy is also getting two more offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and a new light general purpose frigate.

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