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".

In 2016, it was announced that the Type 26 frigate will be complemented by the smaller Type 31 frigates.

The Type 26 is being marketed for export to Australia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand, Turkey, and the United States.

Specifications

 * Type: Frigate
 * Service Period: 2020-
 * Characteristics
 * Length: 492 feet (149.96 meters)
 * Beam: 68 feet (20.73 meters)
 * Draft:
 * Displacement: 6,800 tons (Standard); 8,000 tons (Full Load)
 * Crew: 118 (accommodation for 208)
 * Endurance: 60 days
 * Propulsion: CODLOG
 * 1 x Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine, 46,500 shp
 * 4 x high speed diesel generators, 16,300 shp
 * 2 x electric motors, 8,542 hp
 * 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 E/F-Band 3D Air/Surface Search Search Radar
 * SharpEye I-Band Surface Search Radar
 * SharpEye E/F-Band Navigation Radar
 * Type 2050 Active/Passive Hull Sonar
 * Type 2087 Active/Passive Low Frequency Towed Array Sonar
 * Countermeasures:
 * Mk.36 SBROC
 * 2 x 6-barreled Terma DL-6T 130mm decoy launchers
 * 4 x 12-barreled Terma DL-12T 130mm decoy launchers
 * Armament
 * 1 x BAe Systems 5"/62-caliber Mk.45 Mod 4 lightweight naval gun
 * 2 x 24-cell Sea Ceptor missile launchers
 * 1 x 24-cell Mk.41 VLS (fires LRASM, RGM-109 Tomahawk and RUM-139 VL-ASROC)
 * 2 x 12.75" triple torpedo tubes (fires Stingray torpedoes)
 * 2 x DSM30 30mm autocannons
 * 2 x miniguns
 * 2 x Phalanx 20mm CIWS
 * Aircraft Carried: 3 x AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat or 2 x AW101 Merlin maritime helicopters
 * Aviation Facilities: Flight Deck, Enclosed Hangar, and Accommodation for UAVs

Batch I

 * HMS Glasgow (F246)
 * HMS Cardiff (F247)
 * HMS Belfast (F248)
 * HMS Manchester (F249)

Batch II

 * HMS Birmingham (F250)
 * HMS Sheffield (F251)
 * HMS Newcastle (F252)
 * HMS Edinburgh (F253)
 * HMS London (F254)
 * HMS Dorsetshire (F255)

Batch III

 * HMS Surrey (F256)
 * HMS Northumberland (F257)
 * HMS Berwick (F258)
 * HMS Cumberland (F259)
 * HMS Shropshire (F260)
 * HMS Norfolk (F261)

Royal Australian Navy

 * HMAS Newcastle (FFH-164) - planned for construction
 * HMAS Liverpool (FFH-165) - planned for construction
 * HMAS Cairns (FFH-166) - planned for construction
 * HMAS Gladstone (FFH-167) - planned for construction
 * HMAS Alice Springs (FFH-168) - planned for construction
 * HMAS Gold Coast (FFH-169) - planned for construction
 * HMAS Sunshine Coast (FFH-170) - planned for construction
 * HMAS Geelong (FFH-171) - planned for construction
 * HMAS Melton (FFH-172) - planned for construction