Another Type 26 Frigate has been named, this time HMS Newcastle was chosen.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said:

“The Type 26 Frigate is a cutting-edge warship, combining the expertise of the British shipbuilding industry with the excellence of the Royal Navy. These ships will be a force to be reckoned with, there to protect our powerful new carriers and helping keep British interests safe across the world.

The contract is structured to ensure value for taxpayers’ money and, importantly, now designed to protect them from extra bills from project overrun. The investment will secure hundreds of skilled jobs at BAE Systems on the Clyde for the next twenty years, and thousands of jobs in the supply chain across Britain.”

Like her sisters, HMS Newcastle will be built in Glasgow.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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53 COMMENTS

      • We should name one of the Type 31 frigates – HMS Broke….. its my favourite ex RN Ships name… But there are other great EX Royal Navy names like–
        -HMS Cockchafer
        -HMS Pansy
        -HMS Arab
        -HMS Black joke
        – HMS Ant
        -HMS Bittersweet
        -HMS Awake
        -HMS Spanker
        -HMS Camel

        The list is dam huge lol!! The RN has had thousands of great ships!! And Britain has never been Richer than we are today! So why do we have the smallest Navy, Army and Airforce we’ve almost ever had… 1.5% of GDP isn’t enough on defence, we should spend 3% minimum!, and stop adding pensions and other non defence costs into our actual defence budget! That’s the only reason we achieve the 2% NATO insists!!….it sucks!!….

    • ” … with more aggressive names.”

      Have you ever been to Newcastle …? ‘Geordie Lasses’ would put the fear of God into any enemy!

      Seriously, why aren’t we building more, more quickly and … on Tyneside?

    • HMS Gay Centurion? (I mean, that really did exist)

      I think the names are just fine. Naming ships after places help to give the public a sense of affiliation and pride. It’s not like we don’t have ‘fighty’ names – see Type 45s, Archer Class, Astutes, and Vanguard Class.

  4. ‘Nukee Brown?’

    The rest of the world wouldn’t have a clue, but it would retain that Newcastle link, whilst scaring the crap out of the enemy.

    it would be like the carry on up the Khyber film with the 3rd Foot and Mouth Regiment (The Devils in Skirts),

  6. Please God can we not afford to get more of these vessels and get them built quicker?
    Unit price must come down with Aussie and Canadian selection.
    Canadian government need to just boot the FREMM complaint away and tell them sovereign decision. Decision made. Bye.

    • I’d like to see at least 10 each of both Type 26 and Type 31s. Preferably 12.

      Perhaps if Gavin Williamson gets his Christmas wish and next year Defence gets a boost, we might get something approaching that.

      • We were almost promised more type 31s than 5 because of the lower cost…..we should get 8 minimum but I can’t even see 1 extra!!.. We are a rich country and can afford a decent sized Navy again or even a couple extra ships than we have!!..

  8. How about, just to confuse the cr@p out of our enemies, HMS Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?
    (real place name)

  9. “The contract is structured to ensure value for taxpayers’ money”

    Sooooo not true. They’re being built at uneconomically slow rates to please the Treasury by keeping annual spend low. The result will be just like the carrier & Astute programs and hundreds of millions will be wasted.

  10. Bugger, I was doing so well on predicting their names until this. I guess it just remains to be seen if Edinburgh or Plymouth makes the cut.

    On a different note, I decided to look at the RN’s standing commitments and how many escorts it would actually take to fulfil them all. Adding in 2 destroyers and 2 frigates for a carrier group, and multiplying by the Rule of 3 (1 ship deployed, 1 in refit, 1 working up), it comes to a minimum of:
    -6 AAW destroyers
    -9 ASW frigates
    -9-15 GP frigates
    Those numbers are assuming we only use our first rate escorts for carrier ops and the Towed Array Patrol Ship. The variation in the GP frigate numbers is dependant on how many NATO and EU task forces we participate in simultaneously. The RN isn’t actually that short of its requirements; a relatively small increase (1 T26 and 4+ T31s is ~£2bn) would see the fleet able to meet all of its commitments.

    • That seems eminently sensible as a minimum to protect the UK & serve our interests. It was madness to ever drop below 30 escorts. I wonder often just how quickly our entire escort fleet could be knocked out, remembering attritions like Dunkirk, Crete (Even the Falklands had more of the bombs hitting our ships gone off) etc. We really should have more top level sub hunters rather than 2nd-rate ASW capable ships, but I’ll take Type 31s to get hull numbers stable & hopefully sometime up to realistic, practical levels.

  11. Our nuclear submarines will be the focal point of any war against Russia or China. Thank God we’re getting the seventh Astute-class boat. After that, in the list of priorities is protecting the carrier. Our escort fleet will be sufficient for that if they are properly equipped. Take the time to review the strength of those opposing fleets – especially their ability to project power in our home waters. I don’t think there is a great problem.

  12. The first three Type 26’s should enter service sometime between 2027/29. That’s a long way off given the increase in Russian activity around the UK, particularly in the Atlantic. So I’m guessing at this rate it will be some time in the 2030’s before all six will be available for deployment?

    • Typo, Eight.

      Earlier this week our embattled Prime Minister, speaking at the Lord Mayor’s banquet in the capital announced the 8th and final Type 26 frigate will bear the name HMS London. The government may be desperate for some good news stories, but this is scraping the bottom of the PR barrel. The MoD is unable to say when she will be ordered or even approximately which year she will be in service. Projecting from the current glacial rate of construction, this ship could be at least 18 years away from joining the fleet.

      The contract for the second batch of ships is still under negotiation and the exact schedule is subject to conjecture. It is possible that these ships will be laid down and constructed faster, but if the rate of production for the first 3 ships is maintained HMS London may not be operational until sometime between 2036 and 2038. Some of the first members of her ship’s company may not even have been born yet.

      https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/counting-chickens-before-they-hatch-8th-type-26-frigate-to-be-named-hms-london/

  13. I demand an HMS Helions Bumpstead! Only a Magpie class or smaller will do! WHO do I complain to in the MoD??? This MUST be addressed as I (as most of the country I’m sure) am HIGHLY offended at this inexcusable omission. Anyone think this rant will work?….

    Cheers!

    • Ha Helions-if you think you are offended, with six down and only two to go, what about the good people of Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh and Manchester !

      • I suggest a WWF Smackdown event to decide the last names. Toughest fellows in each city go into the cage to decide. Winners get to choose the name – like HMS Helions Bumpstead.

        Great idea?

        Cheers!

    • I think I’ve at last found the way to live in this confusing, gender political, fluid identity world. I’ve decided that from now on, I choose to identify as a non-deconstructed heterosexual male …. Now be quiet, there’s a good girl and get the dinner on.

      Phew! That’s better.

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