The first of the Royal Navy’s new Type 26 frigates, HMS Glasgow, has been formally named by Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales at a ceremony held at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard.
The Princess, who serves as the ship’s sponsor, performed the traditional naming act by breaking a bottle of whisky—honouring the vessel’s Scottish heritage—against the bow. The ceremony was attended by The Prince of Wales, members of the ship’s company, their families, and many of those involved in building the ship.
HMS Glasgow is the first of eight new anti-submarine warfare frigates being built by BAE Systems as part of a £multi-billion programme to modernise the Royal Navy’s surface fleet. The 149-metre, 6,900-tonne warship is designed for global operations and is equipped to handle a broad range of tasks, from submarine hunting to humanitarian assistance.
Simon Lister, Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Naval Ships business, said: “This is an historic moment for the Type 26 programme, the city of Glasgow and the thousands of people involved in this great endeavour.”
“The naming of HMS Glasgow is a significant step towards this cutting-edge vessel joining the Royal Navy fleet,” he added. “We are proud that they will play a vital role in protecting the UK.”
Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Sir Martin Connell highlighted the ship’s legacy: “HMS Glasgow has evolved and adapted to meet the warfighting and operational demands of its day… this ship and her class represent the next chapter of naval innovation.”
The Type 26 class will become the backbone of the Navy’s future surface fleet. In addition to HMS Glasgow, construction is under way on HMS Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham, and Sheffield, with steel due to be cut for HMS Newcastle later this year. All eight vessels are expected to enter service between 2028 and 2035.
The Type 26 design has also been adopted by Australia and Canada, and is a contender for Norway’s future frigate programme, supporting a broader multinational effort to share lessons across a projected fleet of 29 ships.
Each ship will carry advanced capabilities including the Sea Ceptor missile defence system, medium calibre naval gun, Artisan radar, a flexible mission bay, and powerful sonar systems—ensuring long-term utility through to the 2060s.
Perhaps that would have been better to get Anne to do it.
She has existing links with Scotland.
I believe that the Pricess of Wales took over as the ships sponsor when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2nd became I’ll or maybe she passed away.
27 Years Later.