The first-in-class of the UK Royal Navy’s Type 26 frigates has officially been named, with HMS Glasgow hitting the symbolic milestone in a traditional naval sense at a ceremony at the BAE Systems Scotstoun shipyard.
When complete, the 6,900 tonnes and 149m-long Type 26 frigates will be the backbone of the Royal Navy’s surface presence, designed to deal with missions across the full spectrum of its operations.
In a 22 May release, BAE Systems stated that work was “well underway” on HMS Glasgow’s sister ships, with second-in-class HMS Cardiff moving to the company’s Scotstoun yard in 2024 to begin outfitting.
HMS Belfast, HMS Birmingham and HMS Sheffield are progressing at the BAE Systems’ Govan facility, while steel will be cut on HMS Newcastle later this year. The eight ships are expected to enter service between 2028 and 2035.
Second Sea Lord VAdm Martin Connell said HMS Glasgow and the Type 26 frigates represented the “next chapter” of UK naval innovation.
HMS Glasgow will continue outfitting at Scotstoun before being handed over to the Royal Navy, expected in late-2026, to begin sea trails ahead of its eventual entry into service, possibly in 2028.
Facts and figures: Type 26 frigate
Originally conceived as a 13-strong class of ASW frigates to replace the in-service Type 23 vessel, the Type 26 programme was reduced to eight ships by the Royal Navy, which sought to develop five smaller, cheaper general-purpose warships that subsequently became the Type 31 programme.
Although designed for a service life of 25 years, in practice the Type 26 frigates will certainly operate beyond 30 years before being replaced by an as-yet unknown design at some point beyond 2060.
Each Type 26 will be equipped with a range of capabilities including the Sea Ceptor missile defence system, the 5-inch Mk 45 Mod 4A naval gun, a flexible mission bay amidships, Artisan 997 medium range radar, bow and towed array sonars, and the US-made Mk41 vertical launch system capable of hosting a variety of weapons, including the Tomahawk cruise missile.
Australia and Canada have also selected the Type 26 reference design, which together with the UK, provides the basis for an anticipated 29-ship programme across the three nations.
In addition, the Type 26 is also one of the platforms under consideration for Norway’s new frigate programme, with BAE Systems shortlisted to provide the design for the Royal Norwegian Navy’s replacement for its Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates.
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