BAE Systems has confirmed that HMS Glasgow, the Royal Navy’s first Type 26 frigate, is set to enter the water for the first time this year.
BAE Systems said in its half-year results:
“The Type 26 programme continues to progress with construction underway on the first three City Class Type 26 frigates. Preparations continue for the first of class, Glasgow, to depart our Govan shipyard and enter the water later this year.
She will then transition to our Scotstoun shipyard where further outfit, test and commissioning will take place. Half of the major units of the second ship in class, Cardiff, are erected, while the third ship, Belfast, continues to progress after entering manufacture in June 2021.”
Other maritime updates in the half-year results reports include:
- £2.5bn of further contract funding awarded as part of Delivery Phase 3 for the Dreadnought programme.
- New Submarine Build Capability contract maintains BAE Systems’ role as the lead for the design and build of nuclear submarines within the UK submarine enterprise.
- The Submersible Ship Nuclear Replacement (SSNR) programme has moved into its Functional Design phase.
- Ongoing support to the Royal Navy’s Portsmouth-based flotilla and the operation of HM Naval Base Portsmouth under the UK Ministry of Defence’s Future Maritime Support Programme, including support to the UK’s two aircraft carriers.
- The Hunter Class Frigate programme in Australia continues to make strong progress through the prototyping phase.
- HMAS Toowoomba, the fifth ANZAC Class frigate to move through the ANZAC Mid Life Capability Assurance Programme (AMCAP) was returned to the Australian Navy following successful completion of the dry production phase of AMCAP.
- Transition to the Next Generation Munitions Supply Solution (NGMS) contract is ongoing.
BAE Systems has revealed more details regarding their huge new shipbuilding facility in Glasgow.
I recently reported that the wet basin at Govan will be drained, and a covered build hall will be constructed on the site, allowing for later Type 26 frigates to be built indoors.
After construction, according to the person I spoke to, ships will be moved onto a barge and lowered into the water. It is hoped that Type 26 ships 4 to 8 will be built in this facility, with the first three being put together outdoors. HMS Glasgow is in build now and is shown below, she is being put together on the hard standing, adjacent to the wet basin area after she was built in sections in the existing build hall and joined together.
I previously reported that BAE Systems submitted a planning application that would see the ‘Ship Block Outfit Hall’ at its Govan shipyard in Glasgow expanded out to Govan road, that plan is no longer the preferred option. From what I understand, the process was being held up by older buildings on the site with historical significance. The new drydock/build hall would allow ships to be built entirely indoors, protecting them against the elements and would form part of an effort to modernise the yard to make it more attractive to future orders.
The following information comes from the firms Govan Assembly Hall planning consultation.
Project Background
In their Govan Assembly Hall planning consultation, BAE say that at present, full ships longer than 75 metres cannot be constructed undercover at Govan, something which is a major constraint to their business. Shown below is the current arrangement, the ‘SBOH’ is the facility in which ship hull sections are currently built before being moved outside and welded together
“As such, BAE Systems intends to develop a new ship building hall which is capable of meeting the United Kingdom’s ship building requirements. This necessitates the construction of a new ship building facility in Govan, one that will allow for at least two ships to be built simultaneously under cover and in single hull format.
The opportunity to provide a new modern ship building hall of this nature would allow BAE Systems to adopt improved shipbuilding techniques together with improved construction access and state of the art, dedicated, on-site office and amenities accommodation.
It would also significantly improve ship building capability in Govan, which in turn will safeguard employment for the ship building and affiliated trades in the Glasgow city region and secure continued investment in training and education, in innovative technologies and in BAE Systems’ supply chain.
There are various constraints and challenges affecting the BAE Systems Govan site and BAE Systems has undertaken extensive site option and feasibility studies to determine how their requirement for a new ship building facility can be accommodated within their Govan campus. To this end, BAE Systems appointed a project team in January 2022 to undertake detailed site options testing with the aim of identifying an optimal and viable location for the development of a new ship building facility at BAE Govan, taking into account the operational requirements for a new facility and balancing these against other considerations, including land use planning matters.”
Wet Basin Works
BAE say that to create a platform for the proposed building, a new structure will be constructed across the entrance to the existing shipyard wet basin.
“The wet basin will be slowly de-watered with water pumped out using a barge with filtration and screening equipment, discharging the treated water into the Clyde. When the water is removed, the wet basin will be filled to the required ground level.”
Proposed Ship Building Hall and Supporting Accommodation
The firm state that the proposed shipbuilding hall will occupy part of the existing shipyard wet basin and will provide accommodation to allow for at least two ships to be built simultaneously under cover and in single hull format.
This will remove the need for the outdoor assembly of ships as is currently the case.
In terms of dimensions, the proposed shipbuilding hall will be approximately 81 metres wide, 170 metres long and 49 metres high to the building ridge line.
Indicative Visualisation of Proposed Ship Building Assembly Hall
BAE add that their planning application will be supported by detailed architectural and Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment information, “demonstrating how the proposed facility will sit within the site and considering key views to and from the shipyard”.
“The proposals have been designed considering views from Govan Conservation Area and the relationship with the Category A listed Ward Complex building. The materials and colours of the proposed building will be chosen to fit with the BAE Govan campus.”
What next?
BAE say that subject to further discussions with Glasgow City Council and other stakeholders it is proposed to submit a planning application in Summer 2022.
“This planning application will include supporting information, including an Environmental Impact Assessment. These submissions will provide information on a range of subjects, including design, transport, ecology, flooding, drainage, built heritage, noise and visual impact. If our planning application is approved by Glasgow City Council, it is anticipated that work on site would commence in January 2023.”
Slightly off topic but keeping to the nautical theme, this former Belguim Matelot reports on the Russian Navy and a few hours ago he knocked out the state of play for the Russian navy in the Med:
I’m more interested in the RAF pilot training issues.
George: any chance of a look at that?
It seems to me that not double crewing Typhoon and F35B is an availability issue for multiple sorties per day per frame.
Not my area but that is what I would suppose based on pilot fatigue, rest days, illness allowances etc. Basically real life human factors.
Hi SB
Out of interest, might you know the ratio of pilots allocated to an aircraft? For example , If an operational sqn has 12 jets, typically how many pilots are assigned? I imagine the number is proportionally greater for the transport sqns.
I might do, but I don’t think that sort of detail is for here and for now given the general situation.
no probs SB, totally understand
Well said. It’s very easy to forget when commenting in this forum. Moaning about acquisitions is fine and dandy. We are British after all and moaning is our hard won birth right. But operationally relevant details are something else entirely.
You would have to go back decades if we ever had double the number of pilots for the number of aircraft available on a Sqn. When I last seved on a Sea Harrier FA2 sqn we had 8 jets and around 11 pilots if memory serves me correctly. Maybe 12 That was back in 2002/3.
That is the sort of ratios that I would expect.
Given the cost of the frames and how few we now have increasing pilot numbers seems to me to be the way to go to increase the available intensity.
They do factor in that not all aircraft are available to fly. On a 8 aircraft sqn typically 4-5 would be available on any given day. 6 on a good day. Aircraft are rotated around the sqns now depending on requirements and deployments. Sqns don’t own the same aircraft anymore. The fleets moved around depending on what aircraft are required were and maintenance/upgrade schedules. Overall, especially with Typhoon, availability is high.
Sure, with high availability the needs of pilot numbers are higher?
Do we have any indication how much quicker the new building could make the type 26 build? The ability to build in parallel but not have to then join two parts of the ships together surly could knock off a month or two from the build time? Saving money and increasing the efficiency
The big shed certainly saves costs, increases quality and improves working environment. Which will also improve worker retention.
Wether it makes a difference to an artificially slowed program that could be speeded up as-is is, as they say, another question?
Isn’t this article a repetition of another post on 7/28/22, w/ same title? Additional details provided or a summer rerun (a practice of US commercial television channels wherein content is recycled before new season begins)? 🤔😁
If you want a bit of repetition this is the site for you. Have a search for articles on the delayed ferries.
For us repeat offenders yes it may be a rerun of with some new bits of info added. The into the water by end of year is new I think? But if this was your first visit to the site it’s good to have all the info in one place.
It’s a one man band this site. George welcomes article submissions from anyone if you have a good idea or want to write about a topic.
Any idea of a date, and will there be a ceremony where Joe Soaps like me can see what we`re paying for, like the old slipway launches BAe used to have Re:HMS Duncan, last ever slipway launch. 😃
Off topic, but at least nautical: does anyone know anything about the Kraken K50? Kraken Technology Group, based in Hammersmith, recently announced an understanding with Thales for systems integration, possibly including the Marlet. The K50s appear to be customisable, very fast attack craft, but I can’t find any details on them, not as to customers, availability, size, capacity nor even if they are to be manned.
Off topic, but at least nautical: does anyone know anything about the Kraken K50? Kraken Technology Group, based in Hammersmith, recently announced an understanding with Thales for systems integration, possibly including the Marlet. The K50s appear to be customisable, very fast attack craft, but I can’t find any details on them, not as to customers, availability, size, capacity nor even if they are to be manned.
The official website gives scant details. They look like speed boats with a couple of miniguns fitted either side, a 30mm gun turret above the cabin (so presumably manned) and a couple of hatches on the side allowing a Martlet rank to swing out. Looks like the kind of thing Q would put together for Bond rather than a naval vessel.
(Apparently speed in excess of 65kts.)
https://krakentechnology.com/security/kraken-k50/
Perhaps, but there don’t appear to be any obvious doors or deck. It could use a teleporter, being a Bond vehicle.
Or Dukes of Hazard style and slide in through the windows? 😉
Is this the genesis of the term, ” Release the Kraken.” 🤔😳😁
Krakens wake – they are not released.
See John Wyndham :-; .
Why fill in the dock? why not giving it a gate and build a roof over the top and turn it into a drydock. Can still build two at a time except you might have to speed up a bit. Done all over the world.
Because they can milk the taxpayer for more munny 🤑
If built in a below street level dock you will need a hoofing big crane to lower blocks and super blocks into the dock. Built at ground level you can do most of the panels to block build in other areas and use multi wheel tractor units to move the blocks into position without a massive crane. A simple gantry crane is all that will be needed.
The basin would need draining and clearing so a cofferdam would need building at the river end. All the years of detritus would need to be cleared out…god knows whats in the bottom of it!
Then pile it and build a reinforced concrete dock bottom onto the piles.
Install a dock gate and flooding/ draining system, lighting, access points, services…
Its easier and cheaper this way.
Why you need a dry dock with roof here? Everything can done on ground level and a whole ship can be lowered safely by barge.
Dry dock needs maintenance. Filled ground is stable. Simple is beauty = it is cheap, flexible, little maintenance, and easy to access. I simply cannot understand your point.
“Why fill the dock?” Just because it is much better. I think so.
Indicative visualisation? In other words a picture of what it might look like. Jeez these corporate loonies know how to massacre a language. Why not just say this is what a shipyard looks like now?
“Beauty is bought by the judgment of the eye.” ?
Loves Labours Lost
So they used two words, and you used seven … just sayin’ 😉
It’s an old factory site, stuff the EIA and get it built!
As a disabled person I find the British obsession with fossilising old buildings very frustrating – I can’t even get in most of the b****y things. (Once missed out on a job opportunity because I couldn’t get in..!) Give me a remote controlled bulldozer and I’d make ’em very accessible…
Grrr
CR
🤣
We do spend a heck of a lot of time looking back to “the good old days”. Witness the obsession with the Spitfire, lovely aircraft and great history but not exactly the future! I’m with you on the heritage thing, there is too much nostalgia, a lot of people abroad still think we all wear bowler hats when we aren’t being beefeaters. I did once say to some sandal wearers that Stonehenge should be knocked down, once they got past the expletives I had to point out that most of the stones were set in concrete by the victorians, indeed they have been pouring more concrete there this summer.
I just got why your name is chariot rider🙈
There is a time and place for keeping some buildings but in Britain they do love to go over the top. It needs to be a balance of usefulness, rarity etc. what is being preserved? What is lined up to replace it?how much benefit does the old thing being just now compared to the new thing etc etc.
Most of The world has very much been built for standing/walking people of 5-6.5 feet of normal build.
More places like beamish should be setup where you can move old stuff that’s really holding up development. Also new towns/cities built from scratch encompassing everyone’s needs better would be a great future project.
I thought he had an iconic, fantastic, Vespa PX200E, hence, Chariot Rider.
I look forward to following this topic in regards to the facility, as an architectural student and someone fascinated in Type 26 it will be great to watch!