Type 26 frigate
BAE Systems design, 2017 | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name: | Global Combat Ship |
Builders: | BAE Systems Maritime – Naval Ships |
Operators: | Royal Navy |
Preceded by: | Type 23 frigate |
Cost: | £8bn programme cost (2016 est.)[1] |
Built: | Contract award for first three of eight planned ships announced 2 July 2017[2] |
In service: | Mid-2020s (planned)[3] |
Planned: | 8[3][4] |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Anti-submarine warfare[3] |
Displacement: | 6,900 t (6,800 long tons; 7,600 short tons),[5] 8,000+ t full load[6][7] |
Length: | 149.9 m (492 ft)[5] |
Beam: | 20.8 m (68 ft)[5] |
Propulsion: |
|
Speed: | In excess of 26 kn (48 km/h; 30 mph)[5] |
Range: | In excess of 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) in Electric-Motor (EM) drive[5] |
Complement: | 118[5] (capacity for 208)[5] |
Sensors and processing systems: |
|
Electronic warfare & decoys: | IRVIN-GQ DLF decoys[8] |
Armament: |
|
Aircraft carried: |
|
Aviation facilities: | |
Notes: | Flexible mission bay[10] |
The Type 26 frigate or City-class frigate is a class of frigate built for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy.[13] The ship design and manufacture program, known as the Global Combat Ship, was created by the UK Ministry of Defence to partially replace the navy's thirteen Type 23 frigates, and for export.[14] It will be multi-mission warship designed to support anti-submarine warfare, air defence and general purpose operations.[5]
The programme began in 1998, under what was then known as the Future Surface Combatant (FSC). However, by March 2010, this procurement programme had evolved to become the Global Combat Ship, following the announcement of a four-year, £127 million design contract being awarded to BAE Systems Maritime – Naval Ships.[15] The design passed Main Gate 1 in early 2015, with the Demonstration Phase starting 1 April 2015. In August 2015 the first long lead items for Type 26 were ordered, with manufacturing then expected to begin in 2016 and the first Type 26 to be delivered in 2023.[16] In November 2016 it was announced that first steel would be cut for the eight Royal Navy ships in summer 2017.[17] They will be built at BAE Systems' Govan and Scotstoun yards on the River Clyde in Glasgow.[18] The contract award to manufacture the Type 26 was announced by BAE Systems on 2 July 2017,[19] with steel cut for the first of class, HMS Glasgow on 20 July 2017 by the Secretary of State for Defence, Sir Michael Fallon.[20]
Development
Future Surface Combatant
The Global Combat Ship started development under the original Future Surface Combatant (FSC) programme intended to replace the Royal Navy's Type 22 and Type 23 frigates. Planning for a replacement escort vessel started in 1998 with the ordering of a research vessel, the RV Triton, to study whether a trimaran design was practical for such a large and complex vessel. However, by the early 2000s it was apparently obvious the Royal Navy favoured more conventional designs. In March 2005, plans were released for a two-class solution, a cheaper "Medium Sized Vessel Derivative" entering service in 2016–19 and a more capable "Versatile Surface Combatant" entering service around 2023.[21]
In early 2006 the MoD started a Sustained Surface Combatant Capability (S2C2) programme which explored synergies between the FSC and other needs, for minesweepers, patrol ships and survey ships. By early 2007 this had crystallised into the three requirements; C1, C2 and C3. The C1 was to be an anti-submarine warfare task group enabled platform and would displace around 6,000 tonnes. C2 was to be a more general purpose platform displacing somewhere in the region of 4-5,000 tonnes, and C3 was to be a Global Corvette to replace a larger number of smaller vessels in service, such as minesweepers, patrol and survey ships. The Global Corvette was to displace around 2-3,000 tonnes.[22] The C3 concept found its roots in early 2004 when the MoD issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a smaller class of ship known as the Global Corvette. Low running costs and the ability to operate forward in shallow, coastal areas where larger ships cannot, were both important. BAE Systems, VT Group, Thales and Rolls-Royce responded in autumn 2004 with concepts ranging from a well equipped Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) of 1,500 tonnes to an advanced and very capable "corvette" of 3,000 tonnes, along the lines of the USN's Littoral Combat Ship programme (LCS).
The FSC concept was brought forward in the 2008 budget, at the expense of options for two Type 45 destroyers not being taken up (ships 7 and 8).[23] In 2009 BAE Systems received a contract to design the C1 and C2 frigates with a planned 25-year life. A total of 18 vessels (10 C1 and 8 C2) were planned to enter service from 2020, at a pace of roughly one per year.[24] In early 2010 the C3 variant was dropped in favour of the Mine Countermeasures, Hydrography and Patrol Capability (MHPC) programme.
Global Combat Ship
Official mention of the Future Surface Combatant had all but disappeared by 2010, and on 25 March of that year BAE Systems were given a four-year, £127 million contract by the Ministry of Defence to fully design a new class of warship, the "Global Combat Ship", previously C1 of the FSC. Expectations at the time were for the first ship to be "in service" by 2021.[25][26] The October 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) reaffirmed the government's commitment to the Global Combat Ship, saying; "As soon as possible after 2020 the Type 23 will be replaced by Type 26 frigates, designed to be easily adapted to change roles and capabilities depending on the strategic circumstances".[27] As part of the defence review it was also announced that the remaining Type 22 frigates would be decommissioned without replacement, reducing the Royal Navy's escort fleet from 23 destroyers and frigates to 19 (6 Type 45 destroyers and 13 Type 23 frigates).[27]
BAE Systems' original working baseline for the Global Combat Ship design was a vessel 141 metres long with a displacement of 6,850 tonnes and a range of 7,000 nautical miles at 18 knots.[28] However, on 30 November 2010 it was reported that the specifications had been pared down, in effort to reduce the cost from £500M to £250-350M per ship. Subsequently, new specification details began to emerge of a smaller 5,400 tonne ship emphasising flexibility and modularity.[29] Unlike the FSC, the Global Combat Ship has only one hull design. However like the Franco-Italian family of FREMM multipurpose frigates, three versions are proposed for export: a design optimised for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), an anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) variant, and a general purpose (GP) variant.[30][31]
Although a decision was made in November 2010 to reduce the specifications and capability requirements of the Global Combat Ship design, BAE Systems' design concepts by 2014 had returned to their original working baseline of a large 6,900 tonne warship.[5] In February 2015, the MoD and BAE Systems signed a contract worth £859 million to continue the development phase and to support progression towards the manufacturing phase.[32] A 12-month Demonstration Phase was started on 1 April 2015 and, following a 12-month extension in March 2016, was scheduled to be completed in June 2017.[33] On 2 July 2017, BAE Systems announced it had been awarded a c£3.7 billion contract by the UK MoD to manufacture the first three Type 26 ships. The release stated "...steel being cut on the first ship in Glasgow in the coming weeks."[34] In September 2015, the programme cost was estimated at £11.5 billion, for what was then assumed to be for 13 Global Combat Ships.[35] The cost for the current eight ships was quoted as £8 billion in 2016.[1]
Possible partnerships
The Global Combat Ship has been designed from the outset with export in mind. In September 2010, the British and Brazilian governments reached a defence agreement, including the potential sale of five or six Global Combat Ships to the Brazilian Navy.[36] The following month, BAE Systems formally made a detailed proposal to the Brazilian Navy, for a package including the Global Combat Ship as well as variants of the Wave-class tanker and River-class patrol vessel.[37]
During a House of Commons debate on 31 January 2011, it was revealed that Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Turkey had all expressed interest in collaborating on the Global Combat Ship, and that the UK was in "close discussion" with Canada.[38] However, a Canadian union campaigned that the Global Combat Ship threatened Canadian shipbuilders, and in the run-up to the May 2011 election a spokesman for Peter MacKay, at the time Canadian Defence Minister, ruled out involvement with the British programme.[39] Turkey also later rejected the design in 2012 as not meeting its requirements.[40] Although Canada had previously ruled out partnership with the British programme, in May 2016 IHS Janes reported that the Global Combat Ship was still one of the contenders for the Canadian Surface Combatant requirement.[41]
The governments of the United Kingdom and Australia had previously been exploring the potential for cooperation on the C1 and C3 designs of the Future Surface Combatant, which corresponded closely to the Royal Australian Navy's requirements in replacing its Anzac-class frigates with a new class of frigate.[42] The two countries signed a defence cooperation treaty in January 2013 and Australia pledged cooperation on the Global Combat Ship design in order to investigate its suitability for their own procurement programme.[43] In April 2016, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirmed that the Global Combat Ship was one of three designs shortlisted for the replacement of Anzac-class frigates.[44] In September 2016 the Australian government awarded BAE Systems a contract to further refine the design of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship for the Royal Australian Navy under the SEA 5000 (Future Frigate) programme.[45] Australia issued a request for tenders (RFT) in support of the programme in late March 2017 and a decision on the successful designer is expected in 2018. The programme is valued at AUD35 billion (USD26.25 billion).[46]
Characteristics
The Global Combat Ship is designed with modularity and flexibility in mind to enhance versatility across the full range of operations, including maritime security, counter piracy, counter terrorist and humanitarian and disaster relief operations. The adaptable design will facilitate through-life support, ensuring upgrades can easily be undertaken as technology develops.[5] As of 2017, BAE Systems' website suggests a displacement of 6,900 tonnes, a length of 149.9 m (492 ft) a beam of 20.8 m (68 ft) and a top speed in excess of 26 knots (48 km/h). The Global Combat Ship will have a core crew of 118 with room for a total of 208.[5] The Global Combat Ship is designed for up to 60 days' endurance and a range of approximately 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km).[5] Located at the stern are facilities allowing for the deployment of rigid-hulled inflatable boats, unmanned surface vehicles or a towed array sonar.[47] A large Integrated Mission Bay and hangar is located amidship, enabling a variety of missions and associated equipment.[5] Aircraft similar in size to the Boeing Chinook can be flown off the large flight deck, and the hangar can accommodate up to two helicopters the size of a AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat or AgustaWestland Merlin.[48] The hangar also has space to accommodate Unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Royal Navy's version of the Global Combat Ship is referred to as the Type 26 frigate. This variant will be equipped with the Type 997 Artisan 3D search radar and Sea Ceptor (CAMM) air-defence missiles launched via 48 vertical launching system (VLS) canisters. An additional 24-cell Mark 41 "strike-length VLS" is positioned forward of the bridge capable of firing missiles such as the Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile, a future anti-ship missile, or quad packed Sea Ceptor missiles.[49][8] Like the Type 23 frigate it will replace, the Global Combat Ship will have an acoustically quiet hull for anti-submarine warfare and fitted with a Thales Underwater Systems Type 2050 bow sonar and a powerful Sonar 2087 towed array.[50] The Global Combat Ship will also be fitted with guns of various calibres. Instead of the RN's current 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun, the Global Combat Ship will be equipped with a NATO-standard BAE 5 inch, 62-calibre Mark 45 naval gun. Smaller guns include two Phalanx CIWS, two 30mm DS30M Mark 2 Automated Small Calibre Guns and a number of miniguns and general-purpose machine guns.[51]
The propulsion system of the RN ships will have a gas turbine direct drive and four high speed diesel generators driving two electric motors in a combined diesel-electric and gas (CODLOG) configuration.[8][52] In 2012 Rolls Royce repackaged the MT30 used in the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers so that it would fit into smaller ships.[53] The MT30 will be used in the Type 26.[54] BAE Systems have suggested that some customers will install gas turbine engines and others will prefer to sacrifice 2–3 knots of speed by choosing cheaper diesel engines.[29] The CODLOG configuration for propulsion is a simpler version of the CODLAG propulsion used on the Type 23 which this ship is to replace, and both of the Global Combat Ship's design contemporaries – the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier and the Type 45 destroyer – use integrated electric propulsion (IEP).
Construction
The first steel for the first three of eight Royal Navy ships was cut on 20 July 2017.[55] BAE Systems announced the award of the Type 26's first seven equipment manufacturing contracts in July 2015, these worth in excess of £170 million. Contracts were awarded to Babcock for the ship’s air weapons handling system; David Brown Gear Systems Ltd for the propulsion gearbox and the test facility; GE Power Conversion for the electric propulsion motor and drive system and testing facility; Raytheon Anschütz for the integrated navigation and bridge system including customer-specific design and development, a land-based integration facility, and a wide range of services; Rolls Royce Power Engineering for the gas turbine; Rohde & Schwarz UK Ltd for the communications systems; WR Davis of Canada for the uptakes and downtakes of the ship's funnel and exhaust system.[56][57]
In December 2016, BAE Systems announced the award of six additional Type 26 equipment manufacturing contracts with Detegase of Spain for sewage and water treatment, Salt Separation Services for desalination equipment, Johnson Controls for chilled water plants, Marine Systems Technology Ltd for gas-, weather-, and water-tight doors, hatches, and Rolls Royce for stabilisers and steering components. Also awarded a contract was Pellegrini Marine Equipments of Italy. These awards brought to £380 million the total investment in the supply chain for the Type 26.[58]
According to Gary McCloskey, head of Type 26 supply chain at BAE Systems, by March 2017 between 40 and 50 suppliers were engaged in the Type 26 programme, and about 33 had full contracts.[59]
On 5 April 2017 Raytheon Anschütz announced successful integration of Warship Electronic Chart Display Information System (WECDIS) into their Integrated Navigation and Bridge Systems (INBS) for the Type 26.[60]
In July 2017 BAE Systems confirmed that the Type 26 programme currently employs more than 1,200 people in the UK supply chain, stating that in the future the programme would secure more than 3,400 jobs across BAE Systems and the wider UK maritime supply chain.[61]
Ships of the class
The original planning assumption for the Royal Navy was for thirteen Global Combat Ships (eight ASW and five GP), replacing the Type 23 frigate fleet like-for-like.[62][63] However, it was later announced during the November 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review by Prime Minister David Cameron that only the eight anti-submarine warfare Type 26 frigates would be ordered. The funding for the remaining five general purpose Type 26 frigates is instead to be spent on developing a new class of lighter and more affordable general purpose frigates (GPFF).[64] Due to an expected lower cost, the government suggested it may allow an eventual increase in the total number of frigates in the Royal Navy.[64] This general purpose frigate will be designated as the Type 31 frigate.[65] In July 2016, BAE revealed two general purpose frigate designs to meet the requirement; the Avenger-class and the Cutlass-class.[66]
During 2014, a campaign emerged to name one of the ships HMS Plymouth, although Royal Navy ship names are formed via the Ships’ Names and Badges Committee.[67]
In July 2017, construction of the first ship began in Govan; at the same time as work on the ship was started, it was announced that it would be named HMS Glasgow.[13]
Name | Pennant | Builder | Ordered | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Glasgow | BAE Systems, Glasgow | 2 July 2017 | 20 July 2017 | Under construction |
See also
References
- 1 2 "Commons Select Committee (Defence) - Naval Procurement: Type 26 and Type 45, 20 July 2016". parliament.uk. House of Commons. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ↑ "Manufacturing contract for Type 26 Global Combat Ship awarded to BAE Systems". BAE Systems. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Ministry of Defence: SDSR 2015 Defence Fact Sheets" (PDF). 15 January 2016: 10. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ↑ http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/britains-future-frigates-06268/
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 BAE Systems. "Products - Global Combat Ship". Global Combat Ship. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ↑ Chuter, Andrew (9 November 2014). "Britain Struggles With Costs for New Frigates". Defense News.
- ↑ House of Lords - Hansard - Defence: Type 26 Frigates, .publications.parliament.uk, 26 January 2015
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Q&A with BAE Systems on Type 26 Frigate Design Update at Euronaval 2012". Belgium: navyrecognition.com. 10 January 2013.
- ↑ "New navigation radar system for Royal Navy - News stories - GOV.UK". Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Re Type 26 Global Combat Ship", Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence. parliament.uk, October 2014
- ↑ "UK confirms Mk 41 VLS selection for Type 26" Archived 7 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine., janes.com, 4 December 2014
- ↑ "£183 million deal for new gun on Type 26 Global Combat Ship sustains 43 skilled UK jobs". Royal Navy. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
- 1 2 "First of Royal Navy's new frigates named HMS Glasgow". STV News. STV. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ↑ Type 26 Global Combat Ship, royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ↑ "Global Combat Ship". BAE Systems. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ↑ "First parts ordered for UK's new Type 26 frigates". Janes. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- ↑ "Work on eight Type 26 frigates to begin in Summer 2017". BBC News. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ↑ "BAE Systems engaging the Type 26 supply chain. The supply chains for a modern warship are complex and call for careful management, as defence writer Mark Lane discovers talking to BAE Systems’ Gary McCloskey.". www.contracts.mod.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
- ↑ "Manufacturing contract for Type 26 Global Combat Ship awarded to BAE Systems". BAE Systems. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- ↑ "First Type 26 frigate named HMS Glasgow". BBC. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ↑ "House of Commons Hansard — Written Answers for 16 Mar 2005: Column 265W". Hansard. House of Commons. 16 March 2005. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ↑ "House of Commons Written Answers: Defence". Hansard. House of Commons. 12 March 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ↑ Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts Volume I including the Annual Performance Report and Consolidated Departmental Resource Accounts (PDF). Ministry of Defence (Report). HM Government. 21 July 2008. p. 98. ISBN 978 0 10 295509 5. HC 850-I. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
Six of these highly advanced and capable ships have been ordered, but following the 2008 planning round we no longer intend to place orders for any further Type 45 destroyers.
- ↑ "Across the ocean come jobs – with the warship that's a vision of future". Portsmouth "The News". 23 November 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ↑ "Clyde shipyard jobs secured as BAE Systems land £127m contract to help design new frigate for Royal Navy". Daily Record. Glasgow. 25 March 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ↑ "BAE wins £127m contract to design Navy warship". BBC. 25 March 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- 1 2 "Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review" (PDF). HM Government. October 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ↑ "Type 26". navalshipbuilding.co.uk. 30 March 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- 1 2 Sweetman, Bill; Nativi, Andy; Tusa, Francis; Eshel, David (10 May 2011). "Changing Needs Influence Warship Design". Aviation Week. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ↑ "The Type 26 Global Combat Ship – A Renaissance Warship?" (PDF). RUSI. June 2012. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
- ↑ "MoD signs £859m Type 26 warship development deal". BBC News Online. 2015-02-20. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
- ↑ "Type 26 class". IHS Jane's. 2016-11-16. Retrieved 2017-03-21.
- ↑ "Manufacturing contract for Type 26 Global Combat Ship awarded to BAE Systems". BAE Systems. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- ↑ Ballpark Cost Revealed For Royal Navy Frigates, defensenews.com, 25 September 2015
- ↑ Hoyos, Carola (13 September 2010). "Brazil defence deal raises BAE contract hopes". Financial Times. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ↑ "Britain’s Future Frigates". Defense Industry Daily. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ↑ "House of Commons: Debates". Hansard. House of Commons. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ↑ "Ottawa won't be working with U.K. on building warships". CTV. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
- ↑ Ekşi, Özgür (21 May 2012). "Lockheed Martin sole bidder left for frigates". Hurriyet Daily News. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ↑ Donald, David (28 May 2016). "GCS sets course for Canada [CANSEC2016D2]". IHS Janes. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
- ↑ Scott, Richard (22 January 2010). "UK, Australia begin talks on future ship projects". Jane's Defence Weekly. Jane's Information Group.
- ↑ Donaldson, Kitty (18 January 2013). ".U.K., Australia Pledge Cooperation on BAE Frigate Design". Bloomberg.
- ↑ Anderson, Stephanie (18 April 2016). "Malcolm Turnbull says 12 offshore patrol vessels to be built in Adelaide". ABC News. ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 18 April 2016.
- ↑ "BAE Systems told to refine Type 26 design for new Australian frigates". navaltoday.com. navaltoday.com. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ↑ "BAE Systems boosts Type 26 bid for Australia". janes.ihs.com. Jane's Defence Weekly. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ↑ "Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) Programme". Naval Technology. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
- ↑ "Global Combat Ship — Capabilities". BAE Systems. 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
- ↑ "The Type 26 Frigate fleet will be armed with missiles". UK: ukdefencejournal.org. 27 February 2017.
- ↑ Sweetman, Bill (15 October 2012). "Low Risk, Flexibility Drive Type 26 Design". Aviation Week & Space Technology.
- ↑ Administrator (30 September 2011). "Type 26 Frigate - Global Combat Ship". www.navyrecognition.com. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
- ↑ "GE to Power and Propel Type 26 Frigates with High-Efficiency, Low-Noise Electrical Drive Systems". 2 July 2014.
- ↑ Chuter, Andrew (23 August 2012). "Process Begins to Equip Royal Navy’s Type 26 Frigate". Defense News.
- ↑ "Rolls-Royce completes factory acceptance test for first gas turbine for Royal Navy’s Type 26 Global Combat Ship" (Press release). Rolls-Royce. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ↑ "First Type 26 frigate named HMS Glasgow". BBC. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
- ↑ "BAE Systems has awarded the first equipment manufacturing contracts for the Type 26 Global Combat Ships, worth in excess of £170m". BAE Systems (Press release). 6 July 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
- ↑ "Raytheon Anschütz to provide integrated bridge systems for new UK Royal Navy Ship" (Press release). Raytheon Anschütz. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ↑ "Further suppliers come aboard UK Type 26 Programme" (Press release). BAE Systems. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- ↑ "BAE Systems engaging the Type 26 supply chain. The supply chains for a modern warship are complex and call for careful management, as defence writer Mark Lane discovers talking to BAE Systems’ Gary McCloskey.". Defence Contracts Online. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
- ↑ "Raytheon Anschütz integrates WECDIS in UK Type 26 Global Combat Ship Program". www.navyrecognition.com. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
- ↑ "Manufacturing contract for Type 26 Global Combat Ship awarded to BAE Systems". BAE Systems. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- ↑ "Type 26 Frigates". Retrieved 10 December 2015.
- ↑ "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 24 May 2012 (pt 0002)". Retrieved 10 December 2015.
- 1 2 David Cameron in the House of Commons, Guardian.com, November 2015
- ↑ "New Royal Navy general purpose frigate to be known as Type 31". Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ↑ "BAE unveils General Purpose Frigate concepts". IHS Janes. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ↑ "House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 05 Sep 2014 (pt 0001)". Retrieved 10 December 2015.
External links
- Royal Navy
- DSEi 2015: Type 26 Global Combat Ship (youtube.com)
- BAE Systems video - Type 26 Global Combat Ship (youtube.com)
- BAE Systems - Global Combat Ship (baesystems.com)
- Naval-Technology - Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) Programme, United Kingdom (naval-technology.com)
- Navy Recognition - Type 26 Frigate - Global Combat Ship (navyrecognition.com)