UK signs up for first three Type 26 frigates

[Suff Shikan]

UK signs up for first three Type 26 frigates
Richard Scott, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
03 July 2017

The UK Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with BAE Systems for the Type 26 frigate programme's manufacture phase. Source: BAE Systems
Key Points

• The long-awaited Batch 1 contract covers the construction of the first three of a planned class of eight ships
• The formal steel cutting for the first of class will occur at BAE Systems' Govan facility later this month

BAE Systems will officially begin production of the first of the UK Royal Navy's new Type 26 frigates later in July after being awarded a GBP3.7 billion (USD4.8 billion) contract by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the programme's manufacture phase.

Signed on 29 June, the long-awaited Batch 1 contract covers the construction of the first three of a planned class of eight ships. The contract for the second batch of five ships is expected to be negotiated in the early 2020s.

A formal steel cutting ceremony for the first of class will occur at BAE Systems' Govan facility on the River Clyde later this month. A pilot block steel cut was previously performed in March this year to test the engineering and planning process.

Intended to replace eight anti-submarine warfare (ASW) configured Type 23 frigates from the mid-2020s, the 6,900-tonne displacement Type 26 Global Combat Ship has been conceived as an acoustically quiet surface combatant optimised for ASW but also capable of contributing to a wide range of other missions. The Royal Navy had originally planned to procure a further five general purpose variants, but the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) cut these from the programme, committing instead to the acquisition of at least five smaller, cheaper Type 31 general purpose frigates (GPFFs).

 

[flamer84]

1.6 billion $ for a frigate and that’s just manufacturing phase.....more expensive than the type 45...m

 

[Malik Alashter]

They use gold in making these ships not steel.

 

[Penguin]

1.6 billion $ for a frigate and that’s just manufacturing phase.....more expensive than the type 45...m

Don't equated the contract with the cost of 3 ships. It is a falsehood.

The GBP3.7 billion (USD4.8 billion) contract by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is for the Type 26 programme's manufacture phase (in its entirety = 8 ships).

The original planning assumption for the Royal Navy was for thirteen Global Combat Ships (eight ASW and five GP), replacing the Type 23 frigate fleet like-for-like. However, it was later announced during the November 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review by Prime Minister David Cameron that only the eight anti-submarine warfare Type 26 frigates would be ordered. The funding for the remaining five general purpose Type 26 frigates is instead to be spent on developing a new class of lighter and more affordable general purpose frigates (GPFF). Due to an expected lower cost, the government suggested it may allow an eventual increase in the total number of frigates in the Royal Navy. This general purpose frigate will be designated as the Type 31 frigate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Combat_Ship#Ships_of_the_class

If you develop a ship from scratch and the program goes down from 13 units to 8 total, then development costs are spread of 8 rather than 13 hulls (i.e. price increase), whereas the actual cost of building a unit in principle doesn't change. That in principle should also apply to Type 31, which have to be a lot cheaper (to acquire and run) to facilitate savings enough to yield additional hulls.

 

[Guynextdoor2]

Don't equated the contract with the cost of 3 ships. It is a falsehood.

The GBP3.7 billion (USD4.8 billion) contract by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is for the Type 26 programme's manufacture phase (in its entirety = 8 ships).

The original planning assumption for the Royal Navy was for thirteen Global Combat Ships (eight ASW and five GP), replacing the Type 23 frigate fleet like-for-like. However, it was later announced during the November 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review by Prime Minister David Cameron that only the eight anti-submarine warfare Type 26 frigates would be ordered. The funding for the remaining five general purpose Type 26 frigates is instead to be spent on developing a new class of lighter and more affordable general purpose frigates (GPFF). Due to an expected lower cost, the government suggested it may allow an eventual increase in the total number of frigates in the Royal Navy. This general purpose frigate will be designated as the Type 31 frigate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Combat_Ship#Ships_of_the_class

If you develop a ship from scratch and the program goes down from 13 units to 8 total, then development costs are spread of 8 rather than 13 hulls (i.e. price increase), whereas the actual cost of building a unit in principle doesn't change. That in principle should also apply to Type 31, which have to be a lot cheaper (to acquire and run) to facilitate savings enough to yield additional hulls.

No matter how you look at it economically it's a lemon. There's nothing so out of the world in this ship that others can't get. For national pride they're shelling out a lot more than they should. They should have bought Indian ships or started a co-joint project with India.

 

[flamer84]

Don't equated the contract with the cost of 3 ships. It is a falsehood.

The GBP3.7 billion (USD4.8 billion) contract by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is for the Type 26 programme's manufacture phase (in its entirety = 8 ships).

The original planning assumption for the Royal Navy was for thirteen Global Combat Ships (eight ASW and five GP), replacing the Type 23 frigate fleet like-for-like. However, it was later announced during the November 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review by Prime Minister David Cameron that only the eight anti-submarine warfare Type 26 frigates would be ordered. The funding for the remaining five general purpose Type 26 frigates is instead to be spent on developing a new class of lighter and more affordable general purpose frigates (GPFF). Due to an expected lower cost, the government suggested it may allow an eventual increase in the total number of frigates in the Royal Navy. This general purpose frigate will be designated as the Type 31 frigate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Combat_Ship#Ships_of_the_class

If you develop a ship from scratch and the program goes down from 13 units to 8 total, then development costs are spread of 8 rather than 13 hulls (i.e. price increase), whereas the actual cost of building a unit in principle doesn't change. That in principle should also apply to Type 31, which have to be a lot cheaper (to acquire and run) to facilitate savings enough to yield additional hulls.

It clearly says the contract is for 3 ships while the other 5 will be signed for later.

 

[UKBengali]

No matter how you look at it economically it's a lemon. There's nothing so out of the world in this ship that others can't get. For national pride they're shelling out a lot more than they should. They should have bought Indian ships or started a co-joint project with India.

Is this a joke?

UK has some of the best ship technology in the world while India needs to import engines, radar and missiles for it's hulls.

 

[Penguin]

It clearly says the contract is for 3 ships while the other 5 will be signed for later.

It it quite like the contract INCLUDES three ships (but is not SOLELY for 3 ships)

No matter how you look at it economically it's a lemon. There's nothing so out of the world in this ship that others can't get. For national pride they're shelling out a lot more than they should. They should have bought Indian ships or started a co-joint project with India.

Please read earlier response. As for economic sense, please look at Vikramaditya again. And why are there just 3 Shivalik class produced yet (and an increasing number of Russian 11356)?

 

[UKBengali]

It clearly says the contract is for 3 ships while the other 5 will be signed for later.

The ships will cost around 500 million US dollars per ship. No way they cost 1.6 billion each.

 

[Guynextdoor2]

It it quite like the contract INCLUDES three ships (but is not SOLELY for 3 ships)


Please read earlier response. As for economic sense, please look at Vikramaditya again. And why are there just 3 Shivalik class produced yet (and an increasing number of Russian 11356)?

India can run programs because it will always have volumes. A program under-delivery in this case does not justify the ending of one. Britain will always have limited volumes. Therefore it is a prestige project. Even in Vikramaditya- it was considered the last carrier we will induct from abroad, All other carriers are being built in house.

Is this a joke?

UK has some of the best ship technology in the world while India needs to import engines, radar and missiles for it's hulls.

which...... 'best'..... technology.....?

You guys claim this in every ****ing thing...no one knows just what the hell you guys are talking about.

 

[Penguin]

Type 26: where does the money go?
Monday, July 3, 2017
...
The contract is described as a 3.7 billion pounds deal, but this figure urgently needs to be clarified. Government seems to be playing games by using it: on one side, it is giving the impression that it is committing more money than it actually is; on the other it makes it impossible to figure out how much each of the three vessels is costing. Unfortunately, whatever the exact amount, the answer is: a bloody lot.
...
The confusion is due to the MOD having already signed contracts worth more than 1.9 billion pounds to get to this point. Close to 2 billion pounds has already been spent, and converted in a long list of parts already on order / delivered / being delivered for the first three vessels, but have now have effectively been announced a second time, because they are included in the 3.7 billion deal.
A part of what was already expended is counted separately: probably the non-recurring cost of setting up the shore test facilities, the gun training system, and other voices of expenditure.
...
How the ship can be quite so expensive despite all of the above is mysterious. We are light years away from the affordable pricetag that had been the target of the programme, yet many of the big-ticket items are not even contributing to the cost.
We are left to wonder whether spreading the build on two shipyards (Scotstoun and Govan) is at least partially responsible. Earlier plans included spending serious money on finally building a single, capable “frigate factory” plant, but this would have meant closing one of the current two yards, and this was unpalatable. One look at the two-site Type 26 construction strategy, however, is enough to see how much more complication, risk and waste of time (and, inexorably, cost) it adds.
http://ukarmedforcescommentary.blogspot.nl/2017/07/type-26-where-does-money-go.html

Call it subsidising the naval shipbuilding industry ;-)

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Is this a joke?

UK has some of the best ship technology in the world while India needs to import engines, radar and missiles for it's hulls.

And the Russian steel for its hull.

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...russia-for-delay-in-aircraft-carrier-project/

 

[UKBengali]

And the Russian steel for its hull.

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...russia-for-delay-in-aircraft-carrier-project/

Any "joint" UK-India ship will be completely British as their technology is light-years ahead of anything that India can produce.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

Any "joint" US-India ship will be completely British as their technology is light-years ahead of anything that India can produce.

Yep, UK still got RR which provides the top notch turbofan engines for the jetliner, even China still acts humble when it comes to this.

 

[Penguin]

India can run programs because it will always have volumes. A program under-delivery in this case does not justify the ending of one. Britain will always have limited volumes. Therefore it is a prestige project. Even in Vikramaditya- it was considered the last carrier we will induct from abroad, All other carriers are being built in house.

There are not P17s added beyond the first 3, which are 5-7 years into service now. When where and in what form and number P17A will finally emerge? The only building program going fairly well is P15/P15A/P15B with 3/3/4 = 10 ships. Kamorta class is just 4 ships.

By comparision, Talwar class import: 3 + 3 + (eventually) 2 + 2 = 10