Continuing the development of the Royal Navy’s Type 26 frigate program, BAE Systems has made new progress in the construction of the third ship in the series. HMS Belfast was recently moved into a modern covered hall that will streamline production timelines and improve assembly precision—marking a major milestone as the first ship of its class to be built entirely under cover.
In a carefully coordinated operation, the aft section of HMS Belfast was transferred into the newly inaugurated Janet Harvey Hall at the Govan shipyard. This large facility enables the simultaneous assembly of two 150-meter, 8,000-tonne frigates, representing a significant leap in BAE Systems’ production efficiency. It is the first time a Type 26 vessel will be consolidated entirely indoors, shielding construction from Glasgow’s unpredictable weather.
BAE highlighted that the new construction hall will allow for quicker and more precise joining of the ship’s fore and aft sections. Once joined, HMS Belfast will undergo structural and outfitting work before being launched and moved to the Scotstoun yard for final outfitting and trials. This process differs from that of its predecessors, HMS Glasgow and HMS Cardiff, which were assembled in open-air facilities at Govan.
The Type 26 frigates are designed to replace the Royal Navy’s current Type 23s in the anti-submarine warfare role. To date, five of the eight contracted vessels are in various stages of construction, with the sixth, HMS Newcastle, expected to be laid down before the end of 2025. At an estimated £1.3 billion per unit, the program represents a strategic investment in sustaining the UK’s underwater warfare capabilities.
Conceived four decades after the Type 23s, the Type 26 class features advanced technologies to reduce acoustic and radar signatures. Its hull and propulsion system are optimized for stealth, crucial in submarine-hunting missions. Each frigate also includes a flight deck and hangar for Merlin helicopters, hull-mounted and towed sonar systems, and a flexible mission bay for deploying unmanned systems.
Their armament reinforces operational versatility, featuring a 127 mm Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun, a Mk 41 vertical launch system capable of firing MBDA’s Sea Ceptor missiles, and a Phalanx Block 1B close-in weapon system. The standard crew complement is 157, with accommodations for up to 50 additional personnel.
*Images used for illustrative purposes. Cover credit: BAE Systems
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