£4bn ship deal saves 3,400 jobs Work to start on new Navy frigates
AROUND 10,000 angry protesters took to the streets of London yesterday to slam the Tories’ devastating economic cuts. Many chanted “Tories out” as they passed Downing Street ahead of a rally in Parliament Square. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told them: “The Tories are in retreat, austerity is in retreat, the economic arguments of austerity are in retreat.” And Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said the Grenfell Tower tragedy “symbolised for many everything that’s gone wrong in this country”. Number 10 refused to comment. WORK on Britain’s next generation of warships is set to begin this month, the Defence Secretary will say today.
Construction of the first three Type 26 antisubmarine frigates will cost £3.7billion. Eight vessels in total will be constructed, guaranteeing at least 3,400 jobs over the next 20 years.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said of the project, which has been hit by a number of delays: “This is a hugely significant milestone that delivers on our commitment to maintain our global naval power. These ships will be a force to be reckoned with.”
The first three frigates are expected to be finished in the early 2020s, while the remaining five are due for completion by the 2030s.
The frigates will act as escorts for Britain’s two new aircraft carriers. The first, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is now undergoing sea trials, while the HMS Prince Of Wales, is still being built. The frigates will protect the supercarriers from the 500 submarines now operated by 40 navies around the world. First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones said: “The Type 26 is one of the quietest and most potent submarine-hunters of any Navy. “It has a crucial role to play to protect the nuclear deterrent and our two new carriers.” Hundreds of the safeguarded jobs will be in Scotland, a move designed to quell the SNP’s plans for a second independence referendum. But the number of new frigates was scaled back from 13 to eight, a move that angered Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
An MoD source said: “The Type 26 programme will sustain further jobs in Scotland for many years to come.”
The Type 26 frigates will partially replace the Type 23 fleet, which was built in the 1980s. Each ship will carry a crew of 118, have a top speed of 26 knots and a range of 7,000 miles.