Photos and videos captured by a drone show how HMS Glasgow, the first of eight Type 26 Frigates, looks as the warship prepares for launch.
Now, it should be noted that the vessel will be moved onto a barge soon before being transported to Glen Mallan to be lowered into the water. The vessel will then be brought back upriver to Scotstoun to continue fitting out. Not quite a conventional launch, but a launch nonetheless.
Eight Type 26 Frigates are to be built in total, with three in the first batch, the contract for the second batch is expected to be announced relatively soon.
For those wondering, a flight plan was filed using the appropriate software and drone legislation was adhered to throughout the flight. While I would have been able to fly the drone directly over the shipyard legally, I elected to keep the drone over the River Clyde as, I believe, flying over the yard would add nothing but unnecessary risk. Rest assured, I am registered, qualified, insured, and I know what I’m doing. Nothing was captured that isn’t already visible externally.
Anyway, here’s the video.
I visited HMS Glasgow today with my drone today, again. Many of you will notice that much of the scaffolding on the Type 26 Frigate has been removed ahead of the vessel being moved onto a semi-submersible barge before being moved down river to be lowered into the Clyde. pic.twitter.com/G76fECqRZN
— George Allison (@geoallison) November 9, 2022
And here are the photos.
Last month, crew from HMS Glasgow met the ship’s sponsor, The Princess of Wales, for the first time. The Royal Navy said in a news release that to date, fifteen sailors have joined the vessel, the first contingent of the eventual complement of 161 Royal Navy personnel.
The crew were invited to Windsor where they met with The Princess of Wales for the first time since her appointment as HMS Glasgow’s ship’s sponsor was announced in June last year.
“It was a huge honour to be invited to Windsor Castle and to meet Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales,” said Warrant Officer Darran Sullivan, the ship’s Executive Warrant Officer. The appointment of sponsor signals an enduring connection between the ship’s crew and Her Royal Highness. It is clear from meeting her that she has a real interest in HMS Glasgow and in the lives of those who will serve onboard.”
Petty Officer Colin Chalmers, who joined as one of HMS Glasgow’s Marine Engineers last month, echoed the sentiment:
“It was amazing meeting The Princess of Wales, particularly as there was such a small group of us in attendance. The moment she walked into the room her enthusiasm and genuine interest in us really shone through and put us immediately at ease.”
During the visit, the ship’s company presented Her Royal Highness with an HMS Glasgow ship’s crest and challenge coin. You can read more here.
Looking good. Wish I was 45 years younger.
Make mine 60 please!
How does it actually get on to the barge?
Many peoples
Were the true blues on the other end 😂
Scots brawn!
Yoda
😆 !
Awesome stuff – thanks George!
Great footage George, shows the desperate need for the frigate factory. Kind of seems weird how they are being built given they are about the same size as the T45 and they where built inside the hall at Scotstoun.
Anyone know why?
The first three destroyers were assembled by BAE Govan from partially prefabricated “blocks” built at different shipyards; the last three were all built at yard.
Jim all picture i can find they are being built on the slipway next to where the 26’s are, i can’t find any pictures in the sheds other than the River’s.
Pre independent they were going to build a frigate factory at the Scotstoun site so assemble would be easier. I think BAe own Scotstoun and they rent the Govan site, but maybe i am wrong it the other way round.
Was sure I remembered it at the time but reviewing pictures and it’s from the outside slipway at Govan next to where the T26 is being built.
The bow sections and masts for all six Type 45’s were built in Portsmouth and shipped up using the barge ‘VT Woolston’
Desperate need for a frigate factory? How about copying the one we have here in Oz?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs6vCiE5oHw
Cheers,
PS, the yard and infrastructure is owned by the Oz Government, not the builders.
That yard in SA looks very good.
Great picture George, can’t wait to see her in the water
I can’t express how appalled and disgusted I am. Typical FFBNW. No guns no missiles no ASROC or F35A’s. How is she supposed to take on the PLAN single handed. Not even being built in Scotland in spite of the name. Right I have to go now nurse is here and it’s my nap time but i’m not done that’s for sure. 😡😡
Now come on David,. You know it should be F35BBBBBB and you don’t mention fitted for ballistic missiles but not carried. What are we going to do with you?🤔
That’s nurses job ! 😳😳
OK😚
“Fitted for but not carried”, I agree, nothing more relevant for the Royal Navy. Half the fleet would be fitted for and never carrying it, if the bean counters get their way, I honestly believe their logic gets a bigger stoke when a unit can go throughout it’s life without ever being used. They pat themselves on the back when something the Admiralty asks for in original spec, doesn’t get used. “See, we saved money”, I can see the bean counters say. Of course, it’s never them at risk. They don’t apply the logic that a mugger will never pick the armed cop on the corner to rob. They chose the unarmed, waek old lady.
Great images.
Back in the early 1990’s I used to do a lecture on ship recognition for new entry ratings and officer basic training. The difference in general appearance between RN, USN and Soviet/Russian warships was dramatic. Even in a poorly RN context it was easy to distinguish between a Leander, Type 21, 22 B1/2/3, 23, 42 B1-2/3, County, HMS Bristol.
Thirty years later I’m finding that there seems to be a major convergence in warship designs – at least in terms of external appearance. Be it UK, American, Chinese, Russian, French, etc.
I suspect it is all down to the need for low radar cross section causing a convergence!
The wonders of quality function deployment I expect. Same reason all SUVs look the same.
I would suggest all European designs look similar however US designs look very different. European designs are sleek and US chunky. It’s much the same as cars and even airplanes.
Russian and Chinese 5th Gen fighters look very similar to the F35. Wonder why?
One answer they stole the designs to the aeroplane.
Another is that they are using the same design algorithms – possibly stolen via a hack…
I think the latter would be far more serious.
What ever the reality the underlying fact is that the laws of physics apply to everyone, so I guess it could just be they are trying to solve the same engineering problems with similar constraints.
To be honest the shape is probably not that difficult to replicate, what is under the skin is far more important given the reported ISTAR capabilities of the F35. If the Russians and or the Chinese have replicated that then I’d be seriously concerned.
Cheers CR
..along with Concordski, the Russian Harrierofski and many other stolen designs
You will find it’s due to the advent of computer designing the units. Ships have a basic checklist of requirements and conditions. The computer not matter where it’s based, will produce the most efficient design to suit the form factor. Same goes for automotive design and why cars today look so similar. When you look at vehicles of the 70’s (the end of traditional coach built designing), they all looked different. They had character too. They were designed for the eye as much as wind tunnel.
I working in AI development, we can model almost anything. Whether it’s a vehicle, ship or people’s behaviour. The computer asks what does it heed to do, what has happened in history with what came before and it produces the best iteration. The only change you will see going forward, is the computer model used, what the system learned from what it did and how what it produced performed.
Aha that works both ways – the F35b has taken some cues in its design from the Harrier of ski 😁
Indeed Richard. Shades of the Type 45 in appearance but the 26 is a much better looking ship purely from an aesthetic point of view. I had often thought that some RN designs looked stodgy and unimaginative compared to say their Italian counterparts. Obviously functionality should be the prime consideration but if one can get frigates that look like works of art as well why not??
Well at least the Chinese will now have a nicely detailed 3 D model now!
Anybody know a good source to follow for advance notice of date/time of launch/move onto barge? I know that ultimately it will be governed by tides/weather.
I managed to watch pretty much all the T45 launches as I live locally.
I was trying to remember but weren’t the 45’s launched traditionally? I flew over Glasgow in 2006 and was delighted to get a great view of two in build from the air
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQq0Xe3vNWA
Thanks Heidfirst!
Thank you and thanks for all your other work.
Hear hear.
This puts her size into perspective, BAE needs to get those new ‘Frigate factory’ buildings constructed.
Getting there – so slowly. Thanks 2010-15 Coalition.
Another group of economists are questioning the reality of the ’50 billion hole’* in the nations finances and entering another Austerity round is justified on both financial and social grounds. I hope this is strength to Ben Wallace’s elbow to resist another raid on defence spending.
*In June 2013, the coalition government increased the overall cost to £42.6bn and in November 2015, when the figures were updated, in line with inflation, to £55.7bn.
The DfT’s latest estimate of the cost of HS2 has spiralled even higher, to between £72bn and £98bn. – Sky News
https://news.sky.com/story/hs2-explained-what-is-it-and-how-much-will-it-cost-11930722
Railways are expensive to build. As it’s only for faster passenger traffic I hope it’s worth it. Ticket prices will probably 5x what a normal ticket on the normal line costs. I guess we will find out when it’s finished. Maybe by 2150 it will make it to Glasgow.
It’s what always happens in every part of the public sector. When a project is proposed it includes everything that could go right going right and nothing that could go wrong going wrong. Once approved the truth is slowly revealed but obviously by then it’s too late. It’s outrageous and borderline fraud but that’s how the public sector works.
Yeah, its nearer 50 for me if I’m honest.
How long has she been in build?
Will there be a HMS Bristol by any chance?