Type 26 Frigate

Type 26 frigate is a ship design and construction programme currently under way by the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom. It will replace the four Type 22 and sixteen Type 23 frigates of the Royal Navy and export orders are being sought. The programme has been in development since 1998, initially under the designation "Future Surface Combatant (FSC)". In March 2010 BAE Systems Surface Ships was awarded a four year contract to develop the Type 26 Global Combat Ship. The design has passed Main Gate 1 and detailed design is under way; it is planned that first steel will be cut by the end of 2015 and that the Type 26 will "enter service as soon as possible after 2020".

Specifications

 * Type: Frigate
 * Service Period: 2020-
 * Characteristics
 * Length: 486 feet (148.13 meters)
 * Beam: 62 feet (18.9 meters)
 * Draft:
 * Displacement: 5,400 tons
 * Crew: 130
 * Endurance: 60 days
 * Power:
 * Propulsion:
 * Range: 7,000 miles (11,265 kilometers) at 15 knots (27.78 km/hr)
 * Speed: 33 Knots (61.12 km/hr)
 * Sensor Suite:
 * Type 997 Artisan 3D Search Radar
 * Type 1045 SAMPSON multi-function air tracking radar
 * Type 1046 S1850M 3-D air surveillance radar
 * Type 1047 Raytheon I-band Radar x 2
 * Type 1048 Raytheon E/F-band Radar x 1
 * Type 2087 Towed Array Sonar
 * SCOT-5 satcom
 * IRVIN-GQ DLF decoys
 * Armament
 * 1 x BAE Systems Mark 45 Mod 4 5"/62-caliber lightweight naval gun
 * 4 x 6-cell Sea Ceptor missile launchers
 * 1 x 24-cell Mark 41/Sylver A70 strike length VLS (fires Tomahawk cruise missiles, Sea Eagle Anti-Ship Missiles, and RUM-139 VL-ASROC)
 * Stingray torpedoes
 * 2 x 30mm DS30M automated guns
 * 2 x Avenger Phalanx CIWS
 * 2 x Miniguns
 * 4 x General Purpose Machine guns
 * Aircraft Carried (Either)
 * Westland Wildcat x 1
 * Westland Merlin x 1

Unit Run

 * HMS Bloodhound (F246)
 * HMS Battleaxe (F247)
 * HMS Broadsword (F248)
 * HMS Boxer (F249)
 * HMS Earnest (F250)
 * HMS Exeter (F251)
 * HMS Endeavour (F252)
 * HMS Eclipse (F253)
 * HMS Excelsior (F254)
 * HMS Erebus (F255)
 * HMS Euryalus (F256)
 * HMS Encounter (F257)
 * HMS Electra (F258)
 * HMS Express (F259)
 * HMS Escort (F260)
 * HMS Emerald (F261)
 * HMS Euphrates (F262)
 * HMS Enterprise (F263)
 * HMS Fearless (F264)
 * HMS Foresight (F265)
 * HMS Firebrand (F266)
 * HMS Fury (F267)
 * HMS Foxhound (F268)
 * HMS Ferret (F269)