Friday, July 7, 2017

The British Ministry of Defense signed a contract with BAE Systems for the construction of new Type 26 frigates.

Under the first contract, BAE Systems will build for the needs of the Royal Navy three Type 26 frigates, also known as the Global Combat Ship (GCS). The deal amounted to £ 3.7 billion ($ 4.9 billion), which includes costs for the development of the project and the preliminary purchase of equipment (it is known that the first engine for the Type 26 frigate is already ready).

Solemn cutting of metal for the construction of a new frigate should take place in July this year. The construction of the Type 26 frigates behind the original schedule for two years, which is why the British fleet will face the problem of shortage of ships. So, the Type 23 frigates will start to write off in 2023, while the first Type 26 will go into the fleet only by 2025.

BAE Systems introduced the final concept of the Type 26 frigates two years ago, but because of disagreements in the cost of construction, the British Defense Ministry reduced the program from 13 to 8 ships and postponed the decision to sign the contract. It is known that the military department did not agree with the total cost of £ 11.5 billion for the development and construction of eight ships, wanting to reduce them by £ 500 million, while BAE Systems offered a discount of £ 250 million. What will be the final sum of the construction of all Eight ships, remains unknown.

The length of each of the Type 26 frigates will be almost 150 m, displacement - 6800 tons. The ships will be able to reach speeds of up to 26 knots (48 km / h) and overcome up to 7000 miles (13,000 km) without refueling. Crew frigate will consist of 108 people, with the ship will be able to accommodate up to 208 people.

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