UK Defence Secretary and Australia Defence Secretary Visit Glasgow : Secretary of State for Defence, Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP has visited BAE Systems’ Glasgow shipyard, together with Marise Payne, Minister for Defence, Australia, to discuss BAE Systems being selected as the preferred tenderer for the Australian Government’s SEA 5000 Future Frigates Programme and to view the recently constructed units of the first UK Type 26 Global Combat Ship – GLASGOW.

The visit comes almost a year after construction started on GLASGOW and just days after the announcement by the Australian Government that the nine anti-submarine Hunter Class frigates will be based on the UK’s Type 26 design and will be built in Australia for the Royal Australian Navy. During the visit the UK Defence Secretary and Minister Payne viewed the first ten units of GLASGOW, which are being integrated to form the hull and main machinery spaces.

“Australia’s selection of the Type 26 Combat Ship for its Future Frigates programme reflects the world-leading anti-submarine warfare capabilities these ships will deliver to the UK and to the Commonwealth,” said BAE Systems Chief Executive, Charles Woodburn.

BAE Systems has committed more than £1 billion with supply chain companies throughout the 12 months it has been working in the UK, supporting thousands of jobs and contribution to the economy.

“This renaissance in British shipbuilding is great news for our major yards, but also for the whole defence industry, with millions being injected into so many businesses, both big and small, supporting and supplying our world-class warships. The Type 26 supply chain has now seen investment worth over £1 billion, and many of the businesses involved are now perfectly placed to benefit from Australia’s £20 billion build,” said Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson.

The Global Combat Ship will be a world-class anti-submarine warfare ship, which is globally deployable and capable of undertaking a wide range of roles, from high intensity warfare to humanitarian assistance, either operating independently or as part of a task group. The UK Type 26 will replace the Royal Navy’s existing Type 23 anti-submarine warfare ships, with the first of class expected to enter service in the mid 2020s.

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