The United Kingdom government has actioned the contract to BAE Systems on the Clyde to build three new River class OPVs [offshore patrol vessels] for the Royal Navy.
That this contract would go to BAE had been made known some time ago, with Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, even suggesting then that an independent Scotland might build some of these vessels for itself.
The big issue with the sustainability of the Clyde shipyards is not the patrol vessels, which are in line the the nation’s more modest ambitions for its navy – although a £348 million contract is worth having and it will keep the yards – and 800 jobs- in operati0nal tickover until the scenario is clear in regard to a major contract in the offing.
The big prize is the main naval contract to be announced later this year – for the new multi-purpose Gllobal Cpombat Ships, the Type 26 frigates which will replace the current 13 Type 23 Frigates, of which HMS Argyll – currently deployed to the Carribbean, is one.
An indication of the value of the Type 26 contract is that one of the eventual 13 to be built, will cost at east as much as the entire contract confirmed today for the 3 River class OPVs. The first is to be handed over in 2017.
The Ministry of Defence gave BAE Systems a £127 million contract in 2010 to design fully this new ship. The MoD has said that when the design is ‘mature’, which it hopes to be the case by the end of 2014, it will then issue a contract for an initial 8 of the ships – of at least 13 – to be built.
There has been international interest in the ships which looks as if the final orders could exceed the 13 which are to be built for the Royal Navy. However, the security interests of other states buying the vessel normally dictate that this is a partnership operation with the United Kingdom, whose stripped out design is supplied and the ships built in yards in their commissioner’s territory, customised in accordance with their own operational interests.
This is the area where security concerns on naval contracts would come into play were Scotland to become a country independent of the United Kingdom. It is important to national defence interests that details of technologies and capabilities are kept secret. An example of this is that, when the first of the new Astute hunter-killer submarines was revealed outside her construction hangar, her propulsion system was shrouded in tarpaulins. This sensitivity was later amusing when HMS Astute grounded on a gravel bank near the Skye Bridge, which – amongst other vantage points – became a wonderful photographers gallery, with no hiding place for the helpless submarine.
The first Type 26 is expected to enter service in 2021, with the others following. The new design is for a vessel of 148 metres, with a 19 metre beam and a top speed of over 28 knots. She will have a crew of 118 with room for 72 embarked troops, be capable of up to 60 days’ endurance and a range of around 7,000 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots.
These vessels will be capable of operating across the full range of operations, from maritime security, counter piracy and counter terrorism deployments, to humanitarian and disaster relief.
Her stern has a mission bay with a ramp allowing for the deployment of RIBs, unmanned surface vehicles or a towed array sonar. The latest BAE design sees a large flexible Mission Deck midships. Aircraft of a similar size to the Boeing Chinook can be flown off the large flight deck – with an additional facility to fly off drones. The hangar can take Royal Navy Wildcats and Merlin helicopters.
The decommissioning of the old Type 22 frigates leaves the Royal Navy’s escort fleet at 6 Dragon Class Type 45 destroyers and 13 Type 23 frigates.
The 13 frigates will be replaced by the 13 Global Combat Type 26 ships which will be the fleet workhorses. They will have a single hull design with three proposed variants – an ASW [anti-submarine warfare]; an AAW [anti-aircraft warfare] and a GP [general purpose vessel].
