PRIDE AS SHIP ROLLS FORTH
THE bow of a cutting-edge frigate has been rolled out of its build-hall on the Clyde. It took 90 minutes to manoeuvre the front section of HMS Glasgow at the shipyard.
The Type 26 warship is being built in the BAE Systems shipyard in Govan for the Royal Navy.
It will be the first in a new generation of frigates, with the ship-building supporting more than 4000 jobs across the UK.
Simon Lister, managing director of BAE Systems’s naval ships business, said the roll-out was a “huge milestone” for the construction programme.
He said: “The emergence of HMS Glasgow is a very proud moment for everyone involved and is testament to the skills and passion of our workforce.
“We have now completed the construction of all units of the ship and in the coming weeks our skilled teams will bring the hull together for the first time.”
More than £1 billion has already been invested into the programme.
Mr Lister added moving the bow into position on a handstand is “evidence of our solid progress”.
While HMS Glasgow moves out into the open air for the first time, work continues on the second in class, HMS Cardiff, with construction to start on HMS Belfast later in the year.
Team leader of the programme for the Type 26 frigates Pat Browning said: “The roll-out of the forward section of HMS Glasgow, the first of the Type 26 class, hails a landmark moment for this cutting-edge vessel and a huge step forward for the programme.
“I pay tribute to the hard work and skill of all those involved in the design and manufacture of this ship and look forward to seeing the two halves of the ship coming together at BAE Systems’s shipyard on the Clyde in the coming weeks.”
The ships will replace the UK Type 23 frigates as advanced anti-submarine warships. The first of the Type 26 ships will enter service in the mid-2020s.