MoD announces £472m for Royal Navy ships

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that a further £472 million is set to be invested for the Royal Navy’s Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme.

The funding will be used to progress the project’s demonstration phase, with further money to be spent on detailed design work, the purchase of essential equipment and setting up shore-based testing facilities.

The programme, centred on the Clyde, will benefit suppliers across the UK.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “These highly advanced ships will help keep Britain safe and support our ship-building industry. Investing in them is part of our plan to increase defence spending so our Armed Forces have the most modern equipment they need.”

Equipment purchases will include diesel generators; sonar domes, which form the bow-mounted sonar used for anti-submarine detection; helicopter handling equipment to control the movement of aircraft to and from the hanger; mission bay side doors, for the loading/unloading of equipment; and the stabiliser and steering gear system, key elements of the T26 navigation system.

The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will replace the Type 23 Frigates and will undertake core roles including war fighting, maritime security and international engagement. Once completed the ship will add to four other Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) and will be a key element in the UK’s defence, specialising in antisubmarine warfare.

Tony Douglas, chief executive of Defence Equipment and Support, the MoD’s procurement organisation, said: “We have a long history of delivering complex warships in the UK and as a result of today’s announcement we will continue to develop a clear way forward for the Type 26 Global Combat Ship Programme that reflects the recent Strategic Defence and Security Review, in which the design is further matured while extending the engagement of the wider UK supply chain.”