BAE Systems awards 5 new supply chain contracts for Type 26 frigate program

BAE Systems has awarded a further five contracts to suppliers worth more than £100m, as progress on the Royal Navy Type 26 frigate programme continues apace at the company’s shipyards in Glasgow.

As informed, the contracts have been awarded to Denholm Industrial Services, Malin Group, CBL, Kaefer and SCA.

More than £1bn has been invested across the programme’s supply chain to date, with more than 100 suppliers globally.

The contract awards come as construction on the final unit of the first Type 26 frigate, HMS Glasgow, begins. All 57 units of the anti-submarine warfare ship are now under construction.

The suppliers awarded each of the five new contracts will contribute essential work to the programme as HMS Glasgow moves to the outfit phase in readiness to enter the water for the first time, according to BAE Systems.

“This latest round of contract awards will see companies from the south coast of England to the banks of the Clyde benefit from over 250 highly-skilled jobs and multi-million pound investment,” Ben Wallace, Secretary of State for Defence, commented.

“Each of our new suppliers brings a unique capability that is essential to ensure the safe and continued progress of this nationally important programme. It’s fantastic to see the first of class, HMS Glasgow, taking shape at our facilities here on the Clyde,” Steve Timms, BAE Systems Naval Ships Managing Director, said.

Designed and built by BAE Systems in Glasgow, the Type 26 frigate is an advanced anti-submarine warship, which will deliver critical protection of the Royal Navy’s Continuous At Sea Deterrent and Carrier Strike Group.

The Type 26 builds on the pedigree of the Royal Navy’s current Type 23 anti-submarine warfare frigates which continue to serve the Nation.

Each Type 26 will be equipped with a range of world-class capabilities including the Sea Ceptor missile defence system, a 5-inch medium calibre gun, flexible mission bay, Artisan 997 Medium Range Radar, powerful bow and towed array sonars.

The Type 26 is the original variant of BAE Systems’ global combat ship, which supports a close partnership between the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. Australia and Canada both selected a variant of the Type 26 design for their anti-submarine frigate programmes, supporting greater operational, training and intelligence ties between the three nations.