The forward end of HMS Cardiff (F89), the second Type 26 City Class frigate, has emerged from BAE Systems’ ship build hall at Govan for the first time in an important moment for the programme to deliver the most advanced anti-submarine warfare capability available to the Royal Navy. The aft section will follow in the coming days as the company’s engineers prepare to join the whole ship together on the hardstand at the Glasgow shipyard on the river Clyde. HMS Cardiff will undergo further structural work on the hardstand before being floated off and transported along the Clyde to BAE Systems’ Scotstoun facility in 2024.
First of class, HMS Glasgow, is already being outfitted at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun facility nearby. Construction of all eight Type 26 frigates is expected to be completed by the mid-2030s, with HMS Glasgow the first to be delivered to the Royal Navy in the mid-2020s. With preparation work under way for the construction of a new £100m-plus ship build hall at the Govan site, HMS Cardiff will be the last of the frigates to have its hull sections integrated on the hardstand in the open air. The process for the remaining six ships will take place under cover and will therefore be less weather dependent.
“The emergence of HMS Cardiff is a very proud moment for everyone involved in her construction. We have now completed all major units of the ship and in the coming weeks our skilled teams will consolidate the ship in preparation for float off next year. The roll out is a great milestone for the Type 26 programme. It’s evidence of our solid progress on delivering the Type 26 programme and presents an opportunity for us to celebrate the progress being made with our colleagues, our suppliers, our customer and the cities of Cardiff and Glasgow,” Simon Lister, Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Naval Ships business said.
The Type 26 frigate, also known as City-class frigate, is a class of frigate being built for the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy, with variants also being built for the Australian and Canadian navies. The programme, known as the Global Combat Ship, was launched by the British Ministry of Defence to partially replace the navy’s thirteen Type 23 frigates, and for export. Its primary role is to conduct advanced anti-submarine warfare missions while supporting air defence and general purpose operations. The type is the first naval platform shared between Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom since the pre-Second World War Tribal-class destroyer.
