When will Royal Navy operate advanced submarine-hunting Type 26 frigates? Report questions deadlines and cost
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An extensive infrastructure report has questioned whether new submarine-hunting frigates can be built for the Royal Navy on time.
Work progressing to construct eight Type 26 City-class warships. They are deemed to be one of the most advanced variants of frigates in the world, capable of scoping out submarines with the latest equipment.
Construction is pushing ahead at BAE Systems’ site in Govan, Scotland, but a recent report has questioned the feasibility of the programme. The National Infrastructure & Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024 to 2025 graded the Type 26 programme an amber for feasibility.
The amber category means that successful delivery is feasible, significant issues exist which require managed attention and action. Problems are considered resolvable if they are addressed promptly. Out of a total of 45 MoD projects spread across the Royal Navy, Army, and RAF, three were categorised as green, 27 amber, and 10 red. One of red Royal Navy programmes is the Type 31 shipbuilding scheme.
BAE Systems remains confident that all the targets can be met, and has reiterated the timelines for the frigates. A spokesperson said: “The Type 26 frigates will be world-class ships, replacing the Type 23 fleet and maintaining operational capability.
“The amber rating reflects the complexity of delivering a project of this scale rather than any compromise on quality. We continue to work closely with our customer and partners to manage risks and maintain progress. The programme is forecast to reach initial operating capability in 2028 and the Royal Navy will receive all eight Type 26 frigates during the late 2020s and 2030s, as planned.”
The government agreed a huge £10bn export deal with Norway to produce Type 26 warships for its fleet. Concerns were raised that this may cause further delays, but this was dismissed by the government.
Lord Vernon Coaker, Labour’s defence peer in the House of Lords, previously said: “Both the Royal Navy and Norwegian Navy T26 frigates will be built simultaneously by BAE Systems on the Clyde, benefitting from investments already made, such as the Janet Harvey Shipbuilding Hall in Govan. The new Shipbuilding Hall will improve schedule performance and the pace of delivery, reducing the time between future ship deliveries for both the UK and Norway.”