Engineering news
A multi-billion pound programme to build a new fleet of warships will commence next year, securing hundreds of jobs at shipyards in Scotland.
BAE Systems will initially construct three Type 26 Global Combat Ships, with the first vessel due to enter service in early 2020. Under current planning assumptions, a total of 13 Type 26 ships will be delivered to the Royal Navy.
BAE today awarded the first equipment manufacturing contracts for the Type 26, worth more than £170 million, to seven companies in the supply chain in advance of the start of construction activities.
“The manufacturing phase will begin in Glasgow in 2016,” said Geoff Searle, Type 26 programme director at BAE Systems. “The £859 million demonstration phase of the contract was issued earlier this year, and we already have more than 1,000 working on the project across the company.”
The contracts, awarded from the demonstration phase contract, cover key equipment such as propulsion, communications and electrical systems for the first three ships.
The contracts were 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 MT30 gas turbine.
* Rohde & Schwarz UK Ltd for the communications systems.
* WR Davis for the uptakes and downtakes.
Searle added: “This 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.”
Steve Watson, managing director, David Brown Gear Systems, said: “The contract to supply the gearboxes for the Type 26 ships is the largest single order in our firm’s 150 history.
“As a result of our involvement in this programme, we have made significant investments in our infrastructure and we have transformed a semi-derelict area of our Huddersfield site into new state of the art manufacturing, assembly and test facilities. This means we can provide the latest generation of gearing technology to the Royal Navy's Type 26 ships and it creates a strong platform to secure future orders across the defence, oil and gas, and power generation sectors.”
The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will replace the existing Type 23 fleet, serving as a multi-mission warship capable of undertaking a range of roles from warfare to humanitarian assistance, either operating independently or as part of a task group.
BAE said the ship would 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.
Rolls-Royce Power Engineering has secured a contract for its MT30 gas turbine