The stern block of HMS Glasgow was moved into place this week on the Clyde ready to be joined to her aft section.

Eight of these ships will replace the eight dedicated anti-submarine Type 23 frigates which will reach the end of their active lives by the mid 2030s.

In addition to the Clyde built Type 26, five Rosyth built Type 31 general purpose frigates are intended to replace the general-purpose Type 23s currently in service and also coming towards the end of their long careers.

According to the Royal Navy:

“Just over half of HMS Glasgow is now complete or under construction, out of eight planned vessels in the class (all are named, three have been ordered, two are in build at Govan – HMS Cardiff is No.2).

Once the fore and aft sections are complete they will be joined on the hard in front of the block hall, before the bridge/main mast are craned into place. The completed ship will then be ‘launched’ by being lowered into the Clyde via a barge, then towed downstream to BAE’s yard at Scotstoun to complete fitting out.”

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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76 COMMENTS

  3. 18 vessels being built in Scotland since 2015 and yet the SNP still cry ‘betrayal’ because 8 instead of 13 of that number are T26. If they get independence let’s see how they like having 0 instead!

    The lack of options if Scotland did leave the union concerns me. Appledore is too small to be a viable alternative and Harland & Wolf haven’t built a ship of any kind for decades. Cammell Laird would seem the only choice but I read they struggled to get RRS David Attenborough delivered.

    I guess the fact they did eventually get her finished and have been able to leverage experience from building a sizeable and complex vessel may stand them in good stead?

    • I agree – we have rather put all our eggs in one basket with UK warship construction. We should be looking at improving construction infrastructure in England. Certainly we should look at moving the nuclear subs down south. Along with the atomic weapons. Perhaps build new sub facilities at Barrow.

      We should be diversifying our construction and infrastructure across the UK.

      • This has been discussed here many times, I doubt the powers that be haven’t made plans in the event of Scottish Independence, the trouble is finding another Gare Loch. Not such a difficult problem to relocate the Ship Building though.

        • The use of Gate Loch is a throw back to the late 60’s and Polaris. Gare Loch was originally chosen as it provided plenty of cloud cover throughout the year-early satellite systems couldn’t penetrate clouds, so was an ideal location.
          Nowadays they can, so, Gare Loch isn’t the best location as it’s a bit of a bottleneck and easy to close down. I suspect if MOD had a blank sheet somewhere altogether more open would be chosen, perhaps Milford Haven or possibly Falmouth!

          • Deeps, (I’m guessing you are another ‘Deeps’) you also have to factor in where they would put the new ‘Coulport’ and the objections by the locals to that. Not everyone wants a nuclear arsenal down the road, plenty in Scotland aren’t keen on the idea.

          • Yes mate, correct on both counts, another facility like Coulport would probably be the greatest challenge for any relocation I would imagine.

          • I would think that if one was to sit down and carefully compose a defence of the Union based on its value to all the peoples of the UK, and the consequences of a break up, then present it properly before a Referendum,the United Kingdom would comfortably remain intact. People really need to think with heart and head before consigning GB and NI to the scrapheap!

          • Milford Haven Is one of the obvious options but of course Wales may choose to follow Scotland’s path.

          • Absolutely Cap’n, what a difficult situation for any government to be in should the need ever arise! There is no quick way out/fix on this occasion I imagine.

          • Surely the further north of England ( if closing Scottish bases ) the better. Obviously to counter the Russian threat.

      • And after doing this, we can share out the manufacturing of the Subs which is focussed Barrow in Furness to the rest of the UK, and what about sharing out Fighter Production from Warton?

        With the numbers involved in the UK now, it makes sense to have specialised factories, and its these specialised facilities that are shared around the country. The Scots, Welsh and people of Ulster contribute to the UK defence budget as well.

        I’m not the SNP’s biggest fan. I’m annoyed that their idiotic whining about separating Scotland for the rest of the UK has put the anchors on the development of the Govan Yard into a TRUE Frigate Factory.

        • Douglas, that about sums it up for me too, the UK isn’t big enough to really have shipyards/factories competing for the various contracts, especially as the Defence industry has yomped up the smaller players over the years so we have ‘super businesses’. For cost (I’ know, I know) and practicality, the manufacture of military gear is in certain areas. It makes sense to have these areas of ‘expertise’. There are potential problems with having all the eggs in one basket but overall its going to make financially.

          As you allude to, this should be shared around the UK, it just so happens that the escort fleet gets built in Scotland…. the batch 2 Rivers was an expensive stopgap right enough but having seen the delays between the V boats and the A boats, probably money well spent.

          • So why not consider winning foreign orders, surely the way forward is a competitive industry and multiple yards. Foreign money coming into the country for orders. Increased GDP, keeping in mind defence is 2% of GDP so = more domestic orders follow.

          • I’m not sure why having work concentrated in one yard or factory would prohibit that. Especially with defence, a lot of countries want to build their own anyway so even if they use a UK design it will be built locally. For example the T26.

            I’m not advocating the way things are, just saying there’s a logic for it.

          • I’m sure that BAE have considered wining foreign orders, and indeed have built a range of ships for foreign countries recently (Al Khareef, and corvettes for Brazil I think, though that was 10 years ago and not in Gavan) — with a couple built abroad – Thailand. Building abroad is probably going to be the norm for exports in the future, look at the recent Canadian and Australian Frigate “sales” – BAE is still making money, but they are built in Canada and Australia.

            Now we are out of Europe maybe the UK can be a bit more agile and and gain more orders … but they’ll have a job in the commercial market where the Far East has the capacity and low manpower costs.

          • We’re talking defence. So please tell me how the Scots get MORE than their fair share of the defence budget??? Remember we make up 10% of the UK population .

            I think we get treated fairly by defence, I’m challenging your assertion we get MORE than a fair share. I look forward to seeing your detailed reply. ??

          • Purely from a naval point of view it hasn’t hard to argue.

            • Most carrier spend happened in Scotland at Rosyth
            • When the T23s are out of service all Royal Navy escorts will have been built in Scotland.
            • 10% of the country building all of the escorts? Yes that is disproportionate. I say this as someone who lives opposite Rosyth.

          • You can disappear up your own arse following that logic though mate, no offence. Should Scotland (in this case) build 10% of the Typhoons, Boxers or Ajax’s ?? We just don’t build enough of pretty much anything to have multiple companies building this stuff so we end up with one factory for this, one for that etc and in the divvy up of this it just happens that the Escorts have ended up being built in The Weedge (and now Rosyth). The carriers were assembled in Rosyth for practical reasons, no. 2 drydock is big enough (being extended for a Hood refit) to fit them in.

            To turn the argument on its head, if the RN wanted more escorts and Scotstoun couldn’t cope then A.N. Other site would have got the work. For now though its just not practical to have multiple warship builders dotted around the place, it makes sense if we are going to have 2 that they’re close enough for the workforces to be close together, although I suspect that’s more ‘luck’ than judgement.

            Oh and hello from across the river.

          • The Carriers were assembled in Scotland over a long time (using a lot of English subcontractors BTW), with many of the blocks built around the UK. Rosyth was chosen for the size of the Dry Dock facility there. The T26 program has been going for several years and will run for and 15 or more … thats hardly a disproportionate amount of Defence spending in Scotland.

            All the nuclear subs – way more expensive – are being built in Barrow. Most of the Typhoons and the UK’s share of F35 are built in England. Westland built or assembled all at the helicopters – Wildcat, Merlin, WAH64. I don’t think any land vehicles, tanks, armoured vehicles or 4x4s are being made in Scotland.

            Scotland gets its share. And given our budge it makes sense to focus building on key sup-factories. You can keep open 1 year to build 9 frigates in 20 years … keeping two yards open to build those same 9 frigates will be much more difficult.

          • 7.8%, to be honest. With NI having 2.8%, and Wales 4.5%.

            Once you begin to debate the idea of “fair shares”, you are already in the Anti-Union trap. There is no “fair share”.

            There is a company called BRITISH Aerrospace Systems, who decided, that Scotland is a good place to consolidate the surface vessel construction.

            It has nothing to do with being a “Scottish” yard. If consecutive governments would have not taken their shilpbuilding holidays, there woul be plenty of smaller yards in England and NI.

            The even larger point is, that Scotland is the shilbuilding powerhouse of the UK, but will most certainly not be the shipbuilding powerhouse of the EU. And this powerhouse will end, if and when the SNP enforces another Indy ref.

            BAE will instantly revisit the decision making. Expenditure or not.

      • Barrow? Shifting sands, difficult lock gates – tides, wind farm and, I suspect, so very open to interdiction once at sea.it would take a great deal of sanitising… plus, Barrow is a sh!t hole which is why many RN choose Ulverston or Roose to live at, or the coast road.

    • Well done for being the first to manage to shoe horn the SNP/Independence into the discussion. Sorry there’s no prize or anything, just the feeling of satisfaction and/or outrage that comes with bringing it up.

      • It always happens Andy, but the usual SNP supporters have been suspiciously quiet of late, not rising to the bait …. It’s quiet, too quiet … I suspect they are all busy, the Irn Bru factory is being dismantled and relocated to a secret location in the Highlands, just in case there’s a snap referendum that leads to civil war….

        • True John, true. I guess all the Indy fans are glued to the main event of ‘Big Eck V Wee Jimmy’, we’re very much the undercard.

          As long as the ‘Jock juice’ keeps flowing, that’s the main thing, that and the vitamin T of course… slainte.

          • Tell you what we do Andy, in the event of a second referendum, we seize control of the vital Tunnocks Tea Cakes and Irn Bru facilities and restrict supply, that will bring the Clans to the negotiation table quick enough…..

    • I have it on good authority that if you are able to go more than 2 articles without mentioning the nationalist party and independence you will be gifted 3 cases of Tunnocks caramel wafers as a thank you.?? ?

      ???????????

  4. The first steel should be cut and construction begins on the third T26 in April, that is 20 months after the 2nd began. That is in the T26 contract.
    So BAE get moving quickly, with only three large sheds!

    It is most likely other smaller sections/blocks of the 2nd T26 will have been completed already. They will just be assembled when the space is available.

  5. “Once the fore and aft sections are complete they will be joined on the hard in front of the
    block hall, before the bridge/main mast are craned into place”

    The bridge has already been craned into place, the main mask will still need to be craned into place.

      • Thanks Meirion X. Hopefully just before. Any clarity on what the T32 will be? Just heard rumours it will be a T31 type of vessel as a mothership for AUV’s. Possibly the next stage T31 build of 5 to make up 10 T31/32.

  9. will be interesting to see how the T31 construction varies, for instance I heard there will be no scaffolding used on the T31.

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