Frigate HMS London will be built at the BAE Systems shipyard in Govan.
Eight Type 26 Frigates are to be built in total with three in the first batch, the contract for the second batch will be negotiated in the early 2020s.
THREAD: Delighted that at this evening’s Lord Mayor’s Banquet, @theresa_may will announce that our 8th new Type 26 Frigate will bear the name our nation’s capital. @10DowningStreet pic.twitter.com/hwqBpnYDt5
— First Sea Lord (@AdmPhilipJones) November 12, 2018
Three of the class are currently unnamed, LONDON will be the 8th and final ship in the class.
Ordering in batches is common for projects of this size around the world and was last seen with the Royal Navy for the Type 45 Destroyers and recent Offshore Patrol Vessels. The Type 45s first batch order was for three vessels for example.
Thirteen ships of the Royal Navy have been named London, after the city of London. The previous HMS London was a Type 22 frigate launched in 1984, sold to Romania in 2002 and renamed Regina Maria.
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.”
As a crew member on the previous LONDON, I wonder what happened to the “Domine” part of the motto?? Not PC enough perhaps??
interesting to see how long it serves the previous london’s, the type 22, and the county class weren’t in service for anything near their shelf life.
its utter rubbish, who really gives a stuff over ships names?
Why out of sequence?
What is the thinking behind it?
Easier to cut? No chance of that with Cardiff Glasgow Belfast.
They are naming a ship that may never exist.
There has been a London in the fleet for most of the last 300 years.
It is the country’s capital. Stopping laugh at the back! It is………even now….
English ship London (1636) was a 40-gun East Indiaman purchased in 1636 and listed until 1653 The London (1656 ship) was a 64-gun second-rate ship launched in 1656 and blown up in an accident in 1665 HMS Loyal London (1666) was a 96-gun second-rate ship launched in 1666: she was partly destroyed by fire by the Dutch in the Medway in 1667, but the remains were rebuilt becoming the next HMS London HMS London (1670) was a 96-gun first-rate ship launched in 1670 to replace the previous ship of the same name: rebuilt in 1706 and 1721, and was broken… Read more »
‘HMS Loyal London (1666) was a 96-gun second-rate ship launched in 1666: she was partly destroyed by fire by the Dutch in the Medway in 1667, but the remains were rebuilt becoming the next HMS London”
She was to be named with the ‘Loyal’ prefix again but the City failed to stump the cash so Charles II had the Loyal removed.
Steve.
I’m a Londoner. At least insofar as I was born there
There the similarity ends.
Some even wanted London to break away after the referendum with Khan as president.
Says EVERYTHING anyone needs to know about patriotism and pride in ones country in parts of modern Britain today.
Ha Daniele. I was born in London as well but left a very long time ago. I suppose HMS Durban is out of the question?
As one of a decent number of T31 called Common wealth class, not at all. Quite like the name.
It’s more for the City than the Metropolitan London. It’s about appealing to the more rooted parts of our society and culture than appealing to transient ones like Khan and those thinks for which he stands.
I would have gone with another tranche names to be honest. And then if we had done that I wouldn’t have been surprised if one hadn’t been named London.
Agreed.
i doubt the man in the street gives a damn.
when was the last h.m.s portsmouth?
i’d rather see a ship named gibraltar (one in in the eye for the spanish). the type 31’s named the ‘admiral class would go down pretty well anson,blake collingwood, hardy, fisher e.t. a nod to the past.
Painful seeing May singing the military’s praises last night at that speech while she has presided over its demise
i wish she’d said sorry on behalf of the previous governments from 1975 onwards.
not just her, the damage was done at the last SDSR.
What a problem for the UK Government? Crashing out of the EU now looks more likely than reaching an agreement with Brussels? Such a decision could have a drawdown on Sterling, if only initially, and that could create a domino effect on all departmental government spending? However, a go it alone UK will need to ensure the RN maintains, and if possible, expands its role in order to truly operate globally. I firmly believe trade and military compacts are in some cases inseparable, as we are witnessing in Oman and other Middle East countries. With increasing tensions in the Far… Read more »
Our major naval ally doesn’t belong to the EU so no problem. We already operate globally. A prudent government would divert some of the money that went to our EU Danegeld to the RN and RAF….. The biggest currency threat to us is the Euro going plop not Sterling. War with China is a long way off. And I expect we will be there to help the US, Japan, and South Korea if it does happen. I expect the Germans and French will be elsewhere……… Are you just ill informed or not very good at trolling? How dare you disparage… Read more »
china is an overblown story with nothing to back up the issue, just because they’ve lots of everything doesn’t make them any kind of a threat. they are like russia build, build , build, but when the money’s gone, they’ll be left with a mountain of unused junk.
We should revote to stay in the EU then to prove our love e of all things European name the three remaining unnamed frigates… HMS BRUSSELS… HMS PARIS & HMS BERLIN
I think China is overblown too. As I have said before the balance in the Pacific is more about the US losing it than China gaining it.
I’m not sure how you reach that conclusion. China has an aggressive expansionist foreign policy, buying control of nation states, investing heavily in an already massive military, printing and loaning money to its nationals to spend domestically and globally with no prospect of it being fully repaid, a deliberate policy to make them too big to fail. Their provocative stance over the South China Sea is one of many examples of their overt aggression. Russia is a danger as it is severely wounded with no realistic prospect of recovery, but my main concern since the late 80s has been China.… Read more »
I’m not ill-informed as you so rudely accuse me of being. Who gave you license to judge so smugly on someone else’s opinion? I’m acutely aware of the RN’s current operational reach. If Brexit happens then I fear the current fleet is not big enough to do the job in a post-exit era. Money could be short for a number of years, and some services could be hit with Treasury cuts? The point I made; should the Navy get dispensation is based on the new future needs of UK plc? Unless you are one of the voices that don’t colorate… Read more »
without the u.k the likelihood of a european force would seem more appealing to the french and germans.
Ooh surprise! Not.
It was a given.
HMS Londonistan.
Twerp
Thanks XXX
Is that what the T stands for?
tottenham taliban?
Ha, best Team in Town by far. I like you Andy, You have Humour and a sense of Silliness too. Long may you remain here, Personally I’ve been Censored/Silenced @ 8 times in recent years just for posting In an unbiased and Free Speaking forum set up by equally Unbiased and Freedom of Speech orientated fellow Defence interested Members. Makes me feel Proud to be a member of such an unbiased and “Impartial” site.
I had a thought….and double checked.
The 8th T22 was also HMS London.
First that departed from the B name convention.
Coincidence?
Could be, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was a deliberate nod to the previous London.
As a side note, originally, it was meant to be ‘Bloodhound’, which along with ‘Broadsword’, and ‘Battleaxe’ are some of my favourite names from the B convention. Doubt they’d use them today though.
Agree. I liked the batch 1 and 2 T22 names, though not so much Beaver!
London was with the replacement Coventry in Sheffield.
Didn’t know about Bloodhound, great name pity it was not used.
I prefer those B names than the town city ones for T26 if I’m honest.
I remember actually reading ‘that letter’ in the Navy News to do with ship names when it was published.
Nobody really reads the NN, but they do super cutaway drawings.
and have a fixation with the Q.E just as they had with ocean.bit of a rag these days.
i loved the brazen’ name
Nothing wrong with Beaver…”Happiness is a Wet Beaver” ( its a make of wet suit) was the sticker plastered all over the offices and spaces onboard. She was a great ship( I paid her off) and 2nd only to Bulwark in the best ships I served on.
Brazen was another good name …the Helo being called Hussy and the wrens ( Brazen being the second RN vessel to go mixed crew) embracing the nickname of Hussies when they joined.
No. The last London had just been de-commissioned. There wasn’t one in the fleet. Probably somebody in Mrs Thatcher’s administration thought it would be a good move.
The “London” I remember was sold or given to Pakistan years ago. hence my earlier reference to “Londonistan”. Pakistan, India, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Romania, Canada and various other Countries have been happy recipients of our brilliantly designed and built ships for decades just look at Hermes, such a long and Glorious life It makes me wonder just why we get rid, so soon. Oh and , don’t even mention “Ocean”. ” Built to commercial standards ” blah blah blah. “End of her useful life ” blah blah blah. not required now that we have a 4 Billion £££££ aircraft carrier… Read more »
There were several ways the RN could have gone. They went with carriers. It has been suggested that perhaps without the carriers to defend there would have been even fewer escorts which I can’t see really but apparently there is some truth to it. Ocean was worn out. She will built very much to a price. Brazil has a large and cheap engineering base capable of keeping her going for a while. She proved that we should have had two LPH built to naval standards. Or perhaps we should have built 3 and never built the LPD’s. Or built LHA’s.… Read more »
Hello Steve, “Ocean was worn out” you say, well yes and that’s because she was well used, It’s not like she wasn’t doing a fantastic job, She was being used to do lots of work that over night seems to have Vanished completely. Dare I compare her to Nimrod ? Heaven forbid the Government decide that an “Ocean” actually might be required In a few years time. P8’s and all that.
Let’s hope that this is a message we are definitely getting all 8 due to all the uncertainty. Now to see what we will be getting from T31. No news for a while now and yet only a few months away from needing a decision. I have come round to them being lightly armed now as long as they can be quickly up armed if conflict comes. I just hope we get something with some asw ability due to T26 and Poseidon numbers being low. Reused 4.5” gun, 12 seaceptor and some box launches asm, but space to add additional… Read more »
I noted in the other thread on the Russian carrier they used the term ” ships of the 1st rank”
Did they mean capital ships or their best assets.
Either way, id like to see T31 in as great a number as we can build and man.
Let’s build up some numbers in the RN, along with more personnel, so our “1st Rank” assets are not frittered away individually around the world.
I agree, and I like the idea of the ‘Commonwealth Class’. let’s have them posted around the world to support our commonwealth friends where needed. How about a GP batch for this to start, then a second batch of 5 ASW versions for home waters protection and North Sea patrol?
Totally logical in my book.
And T31 has to have some form of ASW capability.
i’m still of the opinion that the type 31 is a smokescreen, and won’t happen, the way the t31 issue is being drip fed to the nation doesn’t bode well.
In other news the Norwegian frigate that was rammed is now fully submerged. So I’m assuming is a write off for someones insurance company.
Looks like bridge crew were responsible though, from what I’m reading.
It’s an expensive blunder. I don’t understand when oil rigs and large cargo ships know they cannot slow down or change direction easily how do they manage to avoid each other in busy sea lanes, yet this is the third collision with a large warship in just over a year. Are warships expecting large vessels to steer out of their way and not adjusting their own course until its too late?
I think our cruise ship sailed that stretch of water into Bergen.
There did not seem to be much room as far as my inexperienced eyes could tell, especially with cruise liners and tankers using it.
When can we expect it to appear as the finished article and fully operational?
https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/why-will-the-royal-navy-not-have-its-first-type-26-frigate-operational-until-2027/
Some other interesting posts on this site by the way including, “New engines for the Royal Navy’s Type 23 Frigates.”
https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/tag/type-26-frigate/
It is mental, the T23 refits have been so extensive they may as well be new ships and the costs of the refits are probably not much lower than the proposed £250mm of the T31. So have the RN really saved anything by delaying their replacement. I think the answer is a solid no.
Kick it down the road is always the way these days. They try to run governments like PLC’s and I think the latter isn’t the best way to run some big companies. I remember working for a large PLC where we were denied purchasing certain equipment, but then had to hire it to meet targets, and then got moaned at for hiring the equipment. Administrations are short term-ist because they know the public has only two choices. Throw in some spreadsheet accounting and you have problems. The Chinese had the right idea.
Ship construction news from this side of the Pond.
https://news.usni.org/2018/11/09/38268
Cheers!
Its funny how they are slowly naming them, to give some more news stories, without actually announcing anything new.
Excuse me folks. As the current plan is to base the class in Devonport could we have an HMS PLYMOUTH please?
Excuse me folks. As the class is to based at HMNB Devonport I really do think an HMS PLYMOUTH should be in there. All agreed. Excellent!
I’m in agreement. It’s time to bring that name back into the fleet.
There`s got to be an HMS Plymouth…hasn`t there ?
How about HMS Appledore ? as a farewell to the last English Warship builder capable of actually Building complete Ships. Just thinking about the demise of our Ship building capabilities south of the Border and I tell you what Guys, It’s Unbelievable really.
We should name 2, HMS GIBRALTAR AND HMS FALKLANDS it’s been many yrs since any HMS ship has been named after these overseas territory Gibraltar has been a loyal servant to the crown for over 315 yrs and a proud friend of the Royal Navy ,and the Falklands deserve one as a lasting memory for all that lost their lives in 82
Sir, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands are two of our most strategic and biggest overseas territories. I, as an PORS of 23 years service in the RN, a Falklands veteran, along with my good Gibaltarian friend Stephen Sedgewick keep asking can ships be named after Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands. Perhaps you would care to respond. Thank you.