Global force projection

With the award of the first equipment contracts, the Royal Navy’s new Global Combat Ship programme is right on course.

This August BAE Systems announced the award of the first equipment manufacturing contracts for the Type 26 Global Combat Ships, worth in excess of £170m. With the contracts awarded to seven companies in the supply chain, there are now more than 1250 people across the UK working on the programme to deliver the Royal Navy’s next generation warships.

The contracts, awarded from the Demonstration Phase contract funding, cover key equipment such as propulsion, communications and electrical systems for the first three ships. The commitment to long lead items keeps the programme on track and means the equipment will be delivered to Glasgow at the point it is needed in the ship’s manufacturing phase, which is expected to begin next year. The contracts include the creation of onshore testing facilities to test the equipment prior to installation on the ships. The contracts are awarded to: • Babcock for the ship’s air weapons handling system • David Brown Gear Systems Ltd for the propulsion gearbox and the test facility • GE Power Conversion for the electric propulsion motor and drive system and testing facility • Raytheon for the integrated navigation and bridge system • Rolls Royce Power Engineering for the gas turbine • Rohde & Schwarz UK Ltd for the communications systems • WR Davis for the uptakes and downtakes

BAE Systems has also confirmed a subcontract to its Combat Systems team for the Meteorological and Oceanographic (METOC) system, which collates and analyses environmental information to support operations.

Geoff Searle, Type 26 Programme Director at BAE Systems, said: “Today’s announcement is exciting for everyone involved in the Type 26 programme, as it

will enable our partners in the supply chain to start manufacturing key equipment for the first three ships. This reinforces the strong momentum behind the programme and is an important step towards the start of manufacturing the Type 26 ships for the Royal Navy in Glasgow next year.”

The £859m Demonstration Phase contract for the Type 26 programme began in April 2015. The new manufacturing contracts build on the existing 15 design development agreements across the supply chain, which means that a total of 17 companies across the UK, Europe and Canada already have contracts in place under the Type 26 programme. A joint team from BAE Systems, the Ministry of Defence, and the supply chain are working together to complete the detailed design for the ships, procure key equipment and prepare the manufacturing proposal to be submitted to the Ministry of Defence.

Under current planning assumptions, 13 Type 26 ships will be delivered to the Royal Navy. The first vessel is due to enter service in the early 2020s and the Type 26 class will remain in service into the middle of this century and beyond.

Multi-mission capability

The Type 26 multi-mission Global Combat Ship will be used by the Royal Navy in combat and counter piracy operations and to support humanitarian and disaster relief work around the world.

With a basic displacement of around 5400 tonnes, the Type 26 will be around 148m in length (the equivalent of around 15 double decker buses), and one of the most advanced vessels in the Royal Navy’s fleet. It is expected to feature: vertical missile silos capable of housing a range of different weapons; a Medium Calibre gun; a hangar to accommodate a Merlin or Wildcat Helicopter and a Flexible Mission Space for Unmanned Air, surface and underwater Vehicles, or additional boats; and the most advanced sensors available to the fleet.

The ship will take full advantage of modular design and open systems architecture, ensuring it can be easily upgraded as new technology develops and can accommodate different sub-systems and equipment suited to potential overseas customer needs.

The Type 26 Global Combat Ship is one of several projects which will see UK shipbuilding provide world class equipment for the Navy.

When the latest design of the ship was announced in 2012, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Peter Luff, said: “The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be the backbone of the Royal Navy for decades to come. It is designed to be adaptable and easily upgraded, reacting to threats as they change. “The build of these vessels will secure thousands of skilled jobs across the UK, helping to sustain an industrial surface warship capability in the UK after the construction of the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.”

Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, First Sea Lord, added, “The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be a multi-mission warship designed for joint and multinational operations across the full spectrum of warfare, including complex combat operations, maritime security operations such as counter piracy, as well as humanitarian and disaster relief work around the world.

“It will be capable of operating independently for significant periods or as part of a task group and will play a major role in the defence of this country for many years.”

Welcoming the announcement of the demonstration contract from the UK government in February, BAE Systems Chief Executive, Ian King, said: ““Through the Type 26 programme, we are transforming the way we design and manufacture naval ships with innovative new technologies, leading-edge processes and modern infrastructure. New ways of working ensure we can continue to deliver the highest quality equipment at the lowest possible cost and compete effectively for future UK and international orders.”

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “This is a substantial investment in our shipbuilding industry, safeguarding the jobs of 600 workers in Scotland and many more across the UK. Investing in these warships will ensure we continue to keep our country safe, at home and abroad.” n