Type 26 Global Combat Ship

Even a casual observer will note some serious FUBAR in this program. Given the apparent impracticality of extending the service life of the Type 23s, the replacement of the former by the latter must remain fully synchronised. The first Type 23 will come out of service in 2023 and the rest of class will follow on an annual basis. This means that one new Type 26 will have to enter service every year from 2023 onwards. But it is only planned to bring the new Type 26 online at 15-18 months intervals. So the last Type 23 will be withdrawn from service in 2030, at which time only four Type 26 replacements will be on hand.

And the new 4,000 ton Type 31e Light General Purpose Export Frigate, which was only at the advanced artwork stage in mid-2018, was supposed to catch up and surpass the 5,000 ton Type 26. First delivery was also slated for 2023, but the subsequent production schedule was to be on one year centers. The Great Leap Forward in shipbuilding would produce five Type 31e by the year 2027, at which time there would only be two of the Type 26.

The MoD intends to cap the price of the five Type 31es at an average of £250 million per ship; this represents a substantial downgrade from the Type 26s which will cost around £1.2 billion per ship. The Type 26 GCS was evidently too expensive to produce beyond the 8 ASW variants. SDSR 2015 truncated the Type 26 Global Combat Ship at eight vessels. "We will maintain one of the most capable anti-submarine fleets in the world with the introduction of eight advanced Type 26 Global Combat Ships, which will start to replace our current Type 23 frigates in their anti-submarine role. We will maintain our fleet of 19 frigates and destroyers. We will also launch a concept study and then design and build a new class of lighter, flexible general purpose frigates so that by the 2030s we can further increase the total number of frigates and destroyers. These general purpose frigates are also likely to offer increased export potential. We will buy two further new Offshore Patrol Vessels, increasing the Royal Navy’s ability to defend UK interests at home and abroad.

"We will replace the 8 Type 23 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates on a one-for-one basis with the 8 Type 26 Global Combat Ships. Type 26 will deliver the Anti-Submarine Warfare capability required to protect the Continuous at Sea Deterrent and Carrier Strike Group. All Type 26s will be built by BAE Systems. Type 26 will be procured in a initial batch of 3, with further ships batched as appropriate. The first batch of 3 ships has been contracted with BAE Systems through a single source Target Cost Incentive Fee contract. The first Type 26 will enter service in the mid 2020s."

The name of a new ship or a class of ship are proposed by the Royal Navy's Ships' Names and Badges Committee. The Committee presents their recommendations to the Navy Board, and the name(s) chosen by the Board are forwarded to the Secretary of State for Defence before being submitted to Her Majesty the Queen for approval. The Ministry of Defence received a large number of representations from individuals and groups proposing the name HMS EXETER for one of the Royal Navy's eight Type 26 Frigates. Initially, two ships have been named HMS GLASGOW and HMS BELFAST.