Momentum builds on next-generation warships programme

Type 26 Global Combat Ships will replace the Royal Navy's Type 23 flotilla from 2020

Type 26 warships are due to begin replacing the Type 23 fleet from 2020
 
BAE Systems has announced the four major equipment design partners that will work with the company to deliver the next-generation Type 26 Global Combat Ships.

Rolls-Royce has been selected to design the warships' gas turbines, MTU will provide the diesel generator sets, and David Brown Gear Systems has been asked to develop the gearbox.

The fourth contract has been placed with Rohde & Schwarz to work on the vessels’ communications system.

Geoff Searle, Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme director at BAE Systems, said: “Confirming our first major equipment design partners is a huge step forward and reflects the maturity we have achieved in the ships' design. We are working closely with the Ministry of Defence and our suppliers, bringing expertise together from across industry, and we are now at the stage of developing detailed design of systems and equipment that will go into the ships.

“Using proven products and technology ensures we are delivering the highest level of service and capability, giving confidence to the Royal Navy and prospective customers in the global market.”



Whitehall intends to order 13 Type 26 warships, to replace the 13 Type 23 frigates in service with the Royal Navy. The first Type 26 is due to enter service after 2020.

The oldest Type 23, HMS Argyll, is expected to serve until around 2023, while the youngest, HMS St Albans, will be on duty until 2036.

Type 26 warships: designed for stealth

• The vessels will employ a combined diesel electric or gas turbine propulsion system, enabling them to achieve high speeds while providing economic power to the onboard systems, allowing them to operate quietly in cruising mode.
• Designed with an acoustically quiet hull, the ships will have angled sides and an enclosed upper deck for increased stealth.
• Warships will be armed with air defence missiles – the Sea Ceptor system, a medium-calibre main gun, the latest radar and sonar sensors, and Merlin or Wildcat helicopters.
• The ships will take advantage of modular design and open systems architecture, ensuring they can be easily upgraded as new technology develops and can accommodate sub-systems and equipment to individual customer needs.
• Each Type 26 will accommodate a crew of up to 190. The vessel will be 148m long, and weigh 5,400 tonnes. It will have a top speed of 26 knots and will displace 6,000 tonnes of seawater.