Royal Navy’s Future Global Combat Ship Design Unveiled

The UK Ministry of Defense has unveiled the latest design of the Royal Navy’s next generation of warships, the Type 26 Global Combat Ship (T26 GCS). Due to be commissioned into service after 2020, the multi-mission warship will be used by the Royal Navy in combat and counter piracy operations and to support humanitarian and disaster relief work around the world. Since 2010, the MoD has been working with BAE Systems to determine the ship’s basic capabilities and baseline design. With a displacement of around 5,400 tonnes the T26 GCS will be around 148m in length (the equivalent of around 15 double decker buses), and one of the most advanced vessels in the Royal Navy’s fleet. It is expected to feature a vertical missile silos capable of housing a range of different weapons, a medium calibre gun, a hangar to accommodate a Merlin or Wildcat helicopter and a flexible mission space for Unmanned Air, Surface and Underwater Vehicles, or additional boats and the most advanced sensors available to the fleet. Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Peter Luff, said, “The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be the backbone of the Royal Navy for decades to come. It is designed to be adaptable and easily upgraded, reacting to threats as they change. The assessment phase for the T26 GCS is expected to be completed around the middle of this decade when the main investment decision will be made. At this point the budget will be confirmed and orders placed. The MOD's current planning assumption is for the construction of 13 vessels however, the number of ships to be built will not be confirmed until after the main investment decision. The T26 GCS programme offers opportunities for an international partnership with nations. Partner nations will be offered a long term partnership with the RN and the UK’s shipbuilding and wider defence industry.