Images show how HMS Cardiff, the second of eight Type 26 Frigates, looks today as the warship prepares for launch.
In the coming weeks, the frigate will be moved onto a barge soon before being transported to Glenmallan to be lowered into the water.
The vessel will then be brought back upriver, to Scotstoun instead of Govan, to continue fitting out. It is not quite a conventional launch, but a launch nonetheless.
I decided to turn up once again with a drone to document the progress of the ship.
Don’t worry, the footage was gathered in accordance with drone legislation, a flight plan was filed, and I’m fully insured and registered to do this kind of thing.
Click the below images to enlarge them.
She will be the last of the class to have her sections integrated on the hardstand in the open air, you can read more about the build hall in my recent article here.
The Royal Navy say that when operational, the eight Type 26s will be on the front line of the fleet’s defence against hostile submarines, replacing the eight existing Type 23 frigates, which perform the same duty – only in hulls designed 30 years earlier.
“In addition to their primary role, the 26s will be able to fend off air attack with Sea Ceptor missiles, pound targets ashore with a new main 5in gun, conduct disaster relief operations, and be equipped for a range of potential operations courtesy of an adaptable mission bay for hosting equipment such as drones, minehunting technology or Royal Marines raiding teams. All eight City-class ships have been ordered from BAE, with four (Belfast and Birmingham completing the initial quartet) under construction.”
Although construction and assembly are concentrated at BAE’s yards on the Clyde, some 120 firms and contractors are involved in the programme, which will run into the 2030s and support well over 4,000 jobs.
The Royal Navy’s version of the Type 26 frigate is equipped with cutting-edge technology. It features the Type 997 Artisan 3D search radar and Sea Ceptor (CAMM) air-defence missiles launched via 48 vertical launching system (VLS) canisters. Additionally, it has 24 Mark 41 “strike-length VLS” cells positioned forward of the bridge. Designed with future threats in mind, the Type 26 is set to accommodate the Anglo-French-Italian Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon.
Like the Type 23 frigate it replaces, the Type 26 is built for stealth in anti-submarine warfare, boasting an acoustically quiet hull and advanced sonar systems, including the Ultra Electronics Type 2150 bow sonar and the Sonar 2087 towed array. For defence, it’s armed with a BAE 5-inch, 62-calibre Mark 45 naval gun, two Phalanx CIWS, two 30mm DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Guns, and a range of miniguns and machine guns.
The ship also features SEA’s Ancilia trainable decoy launcher for enhanced protection against missile threats. Its propulsion system uses a gas turbine direct drive and four high-speed diesel generators driving two electric motors in a combined diesel-electric or gas (CODLOG) configuration, powered by the MT30 gas turbine engine from Rolls-Royce.
@ George
“ range of miniguns”
Are you sure about this?
The miniguns were withdrawn from service – UKDJ covered this?
It does look like the horizontal torpedo launchers have pretty much been dropped.
Haven’t the MoD asked for proposals for a Mk41 launched Ikara / Asroc type weapon?
Correct 👍
there is always the possibility of a container based torpedo launching system in the mission bay. It is why we have that flexible mission bay after all.
I have seen that as well.
Got one but I need to find something to do once I have made her pass out with pleasure. What’s your excuse for having time to troll?
Yeah.
George, once again I appreciate your team’s photos. Thank you. 🙃🕳️Btth
If the UK needed more T26 frigates, how fast could they be built?
Not that fast. The 8th is slated to finish in 2035. Hard to say how much faster they could go.
Way back in 2015 the plan was that BAES would deliver one T26 a year. A year later this changed to one every 18 months with advent of the T31. If – and it’s a big if – BAES lands a T26 export order (e.g. from Norway) then they will again target one per year, with a 60-month build time. The later still seems a bit slow by international standards, e.g. China is consistently building major warships in less than three years.
1 or 2 per calendar month, depending on overtime of course
Like everything the timescale we see is determined by the customer, the numbers they order, follow up orders and the staged payments schedule.
So what we see is a build schedule for just 8 Frigates and HMG pays for them slowly to spread the costs out. That changes the second they get more orders or Treasury boosts the income.
BAe have openly said that the new infrastructure, tech and facilities on the Clyde can go a lot faster. In a UKDJ article from April.
They aim to cut the overall build time from 96 months for 1st of class to 60 months for no8 and het from a delivery interval of 18 months to just 12.
So we await either MOD ordering a few more post SDR or an export order (Norway 🤔).
It isn’t just the costs curve it is keeping a workforce busy with the gaps that cost fortunes to overcome with hiring skilling and knowledge loss. Leading to initial inefficiency.
The gaps between T45 -> QEC -> T26 have been a full on disaster in terms of skills haemorrhaging.
It may be 60 months built but that is a 30 month launch cycle.
That will have to improve a lot if there is an export order.
Good Afternoon SB 🤛Tell me about it ! It was stressful, depressing and just downright criminal, and the repercussions are still being felt.
If you think surface being gapped was bad try being around post Vanguard when some idiot didn’t order any SSN’s to follow them.
Barrow was hammered nearly into the ground and in Derby so many excellent and experienced staff took Voluntary and just left the industry. HR were practically mugging folks but as the old “Last in First out” principle was still legal all the youngsters went and apprentices were few and far between.
But it did prove that senior management and HR were geographically illiterate as they largely ignored Vulcan.
As for the T26 build folks are screaming about the build rate, but what the hell do they expect, the yards and workforce were gutted !
So getting them back up and running is a hugely expensive task. Govan seems to be progressing well but from what I can see it’s the Fitting out at Scotstoun that seems to be the last big hurdle to more rapid progress.
Which is more than I can say about Rosyth, the silence is now of Metallica proportions.🤷🏼♂️
Last in first out is a nightmare. Experience is useful but only if you are going to be around when the next contract kicks off.
The ones who won’t be should be paid off first.
Fitout is hard as it requires experience, common sense and a bit of humour. As well gas knowing how a lot of different things coexist. Particularly when trying to figure out why all those pipes were supposed to fit through that small hole with flange joints pushing them apart……is the joke on us or was it the mythical work experience bod at work in the design office?
I *susoect* part of the Scotsun solution is the Govan shed. So outfitting is more advanced before floating off?
T31…..I really hope we get a pleasant surprise soon…..
Never a human in sight,no workers in any photo…
I think that may be because the images are sanitised before being published (rights to Privacy etc).
Oh my god… Let’s not see ants on an air fix model. 🤔🤔
Why does it look like half the bulbous bow is missing?
Because it isn’t fitted yet ! That will be done when they fit the 2150 Sonar down at Scotstoun in the Drydock which has a pit in the dock floor especially for that purpose and another at the other end of the dock for the shafts, brackets, props and rudders.
So not only pointless fitting it and then having to remove it but it would make it difficult to get her onto the barge.
Aah! Thanks.