Type 26 Frigate (City Class) (RN) [News Only]

[RichardIC]

[SKB]

I now have an unhealthy urge to draw an assembly diagram....

[Jdam]

We were spoiled a bit with the carrier assembly. Is this the first time we have got a good look at the stern? Looks like everything thing from the mast section back.

[bobp]

A picture of the stern here as well...

[Ron5]

Bob was busy welding

correction: Bob was busy Aralditing.

[serge750]

I now have an unhealthy urge to draw an assembly diagram....

I dont think its unhealthy !!! what ever "floats your boat"

Will be interesting to see her out in the air so we can all get a good look

[Scimitar54]

SKB Wrote

I now have an unhealthy urge to draw an assembly diagram....

For the benefit of some on here, please you will need to show both the “bits” and “bobs”.

[NickC]

BAE quoted T26 displacement at 6,900t, not specifying if light, standard or full load, the above PBO report on the CSC quoting 7,800t light ship displacement, assuming the BAE T26 figure is also light ship displacement, CSC shows an increase of 900t, looks high?, speculating mainly accounted for by the much more capable/powerful radar and the associated weighty AC plant necessary to cool the power hungry four panel GaN silicon TRMs in the SPY-7 radar .

To put the CSC light displacement into perspective that is the same as latest variant of the USN Arleigh Burke Flight III destroyers (7,719t), with its 96 VLS cells and very large SPY-6(V)1 GaN radar, Burkes full load displacement is 9,800t.

PS To be noted Hunter full load displacement was quoted at 8,800t, thou there have been press reports that it has had to be increased to accommodate its CEAFAR2 GaN radars, Hunter will have a crew of 180 compared to T26 157 due to the additional weapons and kit fitted, PBO also mentions a RAND report which suggests that a 1% increase in light ship displacement would increase costs by 0.96%.

Update on post (on Current & Future Escorts) - Defense News "Canada’s new frigate is getting heavier, more expensive" report, some quotes

The ship is growing primarily because Canada is loading them up with capability // The ship has also packed on 900 tons, now projected to displace 7,800 tons light ship weight, up from an originally projected 6,900 tons. Fully loaded, the ship is expected to weigh in at 9,400 tons; almost double the 4,700 ton of the current Halifax-class, the former head of Irving Shipbuilding told the CBC.

The government selected Lockheed Martin’s SPY-7 radar, an upgrade over the British Type 26 which has a rotating 3D radar, which is likely adding weight to the hull, he said, but added that Canada plans to put “pretty much every single weapon that you could think of for a modern, high-end combatant

The ship also will have X & S-band navigation radars, will be able to participate in cooperative engagements with the U.S. Navy (meaning that it will be able to shoot at targets sensed and relayed by U.S. Navy assets), and will be loaded down with a 32-cell vertical launch system as well as deck-mounted launchers for Kongsberg and Raytheon’s Naval Strike Missile and launchers for torpedoes.

Irving Shipbuilding will start cutting steel in 2024.

Highlights the programme cost increase from June 2019 £39 billion to £43.3 billion for the 15 ships, £2.9 billion each including two years spares and ammunition (presumably includes Tomahawk/SM-2/ESSM/Sea Ceptor/LWT/127mm shells etc,etc??). The high cost led PBO to look at options, including costing the T31e for possible mix of CSC/T31e, similar to RN T26/T31. PBO note their cost estimate has a 20% margin of error.

From <https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/ ... expensive/>

[SD67]

A picture of the stern here as well...

I don't have a good feeling about this. As-yet unpainted steel, outside. Long build time. Scottish winters. How much would the FF have cost again?

[Jdam]

The carriers were built outside in Scotland, they went through their share of winters.

[Scimitar54]

The QEC blocks spent much of their time outside (coated only in “red lead”) and were even, in some cases floated into the dock in salt water, having travelled in the case of some blocks on a longish sea voyage from the yard in which they had been built. No concern is warranted. Don’t worry, Be happy!

[serge750]

One advantage of not building the frigate factory is that when the 2 pieces are welded together outside we may see some good shots of the superstruture being lifted etc

[tomuk]

You could have a webcam like Meyer Werft in there huge dockhall.
https://www.meyerwerft.de/en/company/webcam/index.jsp

[NickC]

You could have a webcam like Meyer Werft in there huge dockhall.
https://www.meyerwerft.de/en/company/webcam/index.jsp

A poster some time ago mentioned Meyer Werft were able to build blocks within a max of 1 mm tolerance, difficult to tell from image but the join of stern block appears larger?, not sure if it makes a difference.

[MikeKiloPapa]

Assuming the lower flat panel array on CSC deck house is the MDA Solid State AESA Target Illuminator (the larger array SPY-7 AESA S-band radar), thoughts why target illuminator fitted as guessing CSC AA missiles all come with active homing heads, Sea Ceptor, ESSM Blk 2 and SM-2 IIIC ?

Possible answers
1) they want to use up stocks of older ESSM and SM2
2) ESSM and SM2 need illumination until nearer the target ie no data link like Sea Ceptor
3) used as generic x band radar for gun laying and close in target acquisition
4) make work exercise for MDA

1) Sounds like a reasonable assumption, both ESSM blk 1 and SM-2 blk IIIA will be in service well into the 2030's despite introduction of
newer versions. In addition, there are certain scenarios where semi-active guidance mode is superiour to active....hence why most
newer US missiles retains the semi-active capability.

2) All versions of SM-2 since at least blk II are equipped with both X and S-band data link. ESSM blk 1 has diffient data links depending on
version...ie RIM-162A for use with AEGIS CMS/SPY-1 has a 2-way S-band up/downlink, RIM-162B/C for non-AEGIS ships is equipped
with x-band uplink only(doesnt need downlink) All of the above missiles use mid-course guidance , just like Sea Ceptor, and only
requires terminal illumination in the last few seconds before impact

3) Possibly...while i dont know the specifics of the radar in question, based on the available info, it could well be capable of both gun FC
and surface/horizon search (where X-band is better than S-band)

4) One could argue that at least half of the CSC project is basically just a giant "make work" jobs program .....Wrt MDA i suspect
though that they are just trying to get something out of all the money they invested in early AESA development by being part of the
dutch APAR radar project. MDAs new GaN x-band radar is almost certainly based on tech and know-how aquired from Thales
Netherlands.

[Jdam]

So its been HMS Cardiff we have seen outside the shed. Must admit I didn't know Cardiff was that far ahead in construction, 2 ships bob has his work cut out for him

[SKB]

Both would have been built more quickly alongside each other, in Portsmouth's bigger, longer hall... *mumble grumble*

[andrew98]

Both would have been built more quickly alongside each other, in Portsmouth's bigger, longer hall... *mumble grumble*

Why, how would we manage to get rid of the MP's who fuck things up all the time and get a decision made?

[bobp]

Must admit I didn't know Cardiff was that far ahead in construction,

Likewise was surprised to see this.

[90inFIRST]

Guys I have been on this forum since it started and on its preceding forum, I'm just thrilled by how the navy has advanced from what it was in 82 when I first touched and the amazingly powerful force it is now. I worked on aspects of a plane that has B in its title at a very early stage, a popular RN helicopter and under water aspects paid for by another biiig country, I'm so happy to see QE, POW, the 45's and ultra thrilled to see type 26 to be exactelly what I thought it should be. I'm amazed at the idea of T31/2, There was a time when I had good reason to believe T26 would be 6/8 units at that would be it.

whinge and moan as much as you like this is truly a golden age for the RN

[bobp]

Look close between the two blue notices on the shed doors there is another section of Cardiff.

[cyrilranch]

Look close between the two blue notices on the shed doors there is another section of Cardiff.

Is there any way Bae systems can speed up the build of the other 2 ships,once the Glasgow as FOC been assembled?

[Jdam]

I suspect right now the construction speed is dictated by man power costs, if you want it done faster you need to pay more bob's to construct them.

[Ron5]

Look close between the two blue notices on the shed doors there is another section of Cardiff.

Is there any way Bae systems can speed up the build of the other 2 ships,once the Glasgow as FOC been assembled?

The Treasury doesn't want them to, so no.

[serge750]

Unfortunate that the construction is slower than it could be .... bloody governments

But will be so good to see a couple of T26's next to a QEC with F35's onboard...roll on the late 2020's