Contract signed for Assessment Phase of U.K. Royal Navy's next warships

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Contract signed for Assessment Phase of Navy's next warships
UNITED KINGDOM - 25 MARCH 2010

The U.K. MOD has signed a contract for the Assessment Phase of the Royal Navy's next generation of warships - the Type 26 combat ship.

A team led by BAE Systems Surface Ships, working with the MOD, will consider design proposals for the Type 26 combat ship, named in recognition of its planned multiple roles.

The Type 26 will replace the Type 22 and 23 frigates, which are to begin leaving service at the end of the decade. The ship will provide support for land operations as well as undertaking other key tasks such as anti-submarine warfare.

The Assessment Phase will play a critical part in ensuring that the necessary capabilities identified during the Strategic Defence Review are incorporated into the Type 26 design.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced the contract for the Type 26's Assessment Phase today.

He also announced that progress will continue on the Astute Class of submarines, the largest and most advanced attack submarines ever ordered for the Royal Navy.

The MOD is proceeding with the initial build work for Boat 5, as well as procurement activities to ensure key items for Boat 6 are available when needed.

The MOD has also negotiated a long term partnering agreement with Babcock Marine covering surface ship and submarine support activities.

This 15-year commercial arrangement - known as a Terms of Business Agreement (TOBA) - will generate financial benefits to the Department of over £1.2bn.

It represents the MOD's ongoing commitment to providing world-class capability for our Armed Forces in the most cost-efficient manner.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said:

"Planning for future defence is crucial. It is our duty to provide key equipment that will ensure the UK is properly prepared to meet its own defence needs in an ever changing world, and continues to play an important role in maintaining global security.

"Programmes like the Type 26 and Astute not only ensure the Royal Navy continues to have cutting-edge capability but also sustain the industry that supports them.

"These commitments, and the long-term partnering agreement with Babcock Marine, will protect the long-term future of the maritime industry and preserve the industrial capability and skills needed to carry out future programmes cost-effectively."

First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, said:

"These programme announcements are welcome news for the Royal Navy. You simply cannot have an effective Navy without capable frigates, and the Type 26 combat ship will form the future backbone of the Royal Navy's surface combatant force, alongside the new Type 45 destroyers.

"These ships will be highly versatile, able to operate across the full spectrum of operations, from war-fighting to disaster relief.

"The Astute Class submarine gives us a real edge, exploiting stealth and covert presence to offer enormous utility across a wide range of military tasks, everything from anti-submarine warfare, through intelligence-gathering, to striking targets far inland."

The key design aims for the Type 26 are for a ship that is:

• Versatile - able to undertake a number of roles;
• Flexible - to adapt to the changing needs of defence;
• Affordable - both in build and support through its service life;
• Exportable - designed with the international market in mind.


Computer-generated image of the U.K. Royal Navy Type 26 combat ship






Source: U.K. Ministry of Defence

 

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Green Light To Develop Next Generation of Royal Navy Warships
UNITED KINGDOM - 25 MARCH 2010

Portsmouth, United Kingdom: BAE Systems has been awarded a four year £127 million contract by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to take forward the programme to develop a new generation of combat ships for the Royal Navy.

The announcement comes as the Royal Navy has revealed that the first ships to be developed under the Future Surface Combatant programme will be known as the Type 26 class. Designed to replace the existing Type 22 and Type 23 frigates, Type 26 will deliver a versatile, affordable capability that can be easily upgraded to ensure it remains at the cutting-edge throughout its service life. Under the contract, BAE Systems will work in a joint team with the MOD to assess options from the initial concept design in order to develop a detailed specification ready for manufacture.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said: “Planning for future Defence is crucial. It is our duty to provide key equipment that will ensure the UK is properly prepared to meet its own Defence needs in an ever changing world, and continue to play an important role in maintaining global security. Programmes like the Type 26 not only ensure the Royal Navy continues to have cutting edge capability but also sustain the industry that supports them. The commitments the MOD has made will protect skills and employment, and preserve the industrial capability needed to carry out future programmes efficiently, in a way that represents value for money.”

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope said: "These programme announcements are welcome news for the Navy. You simply cannot have an effective Navy without capable Frigates, and the Type 26 combat ship will form the future backbone of the Royal Navy’s surface combatant force, alongside the new Type 45 Destroyers. These ships will be highly versatile, able to operate across the full spectrum of operations, from war fighting to disaster relief.”

Alan Johnston, Managing Director of BAE Systems Surface Ships, said: “This is an exciting step in a programme that is hugely important not only for the Royal Navy but for the whole of the UK maritime industry.

“Type 26 is a key component in sustaining a surface warship capability in UK industry as agreed under the Terms of Business Agreement we signed with the MOD last year. Working in close partnership with the MOD and industry will help to reduce risk and deliver better value for UK taxpayers. It represents a real step change in procurement for defence.”

An 80 strong joint MOD and BAE Systems team has already been established out of Bristol and this will rise to 300 over the next four years, bringing together expertise in all aspects of warship engineering to complete the assessment phase. The first task of the team is to evaluate the main options including capability, operational availability of the ships, exportability features and support optimisation. The programme is also timed to address outputs from the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review so that changes to policy will be reflected in the final ship design, ensuring that Type 26 delivers the right capability to support future UK defence.

Type 26 is the first of two classes of ships to be built under the Future Surface Combatant programme, delivering enhanced anti-submarine warfare capability and enabling a more agile response to a wide range of threats and emergency situations. Both variants will be developed with their potential for export factored into the design from the outset, with the aim of securing overseas orders to spread non-recurring costs and reduce the cost per ship to deliver better value for the MOD and UK taxpayers. This approach will also provide a platform to showcase the capability within the UK maritime supply chain, helping to secure the UK’s long-term future at the forefront of the global maritime industry.

The first of the new class is due to enter service around the start of the next decade and by the 2030s around half of frontline Royal Navy personnel are expected to operate on a either a Type 26 or the second variant to be developed under this programme.


Source: BAE Systems