Hundreds of jobs are to be supported in the Glasgow shipbuilding industry following the news of five more frigates to be built on the Clyde.
The UK Government announced that BAE Systems has been awarded a £4.2 billion contract to build additional warships for the Royal Navy on top of the three already under construction.
The contract for the Type 26 frigates will support 1,700 jobs over the next decade at BAE sites in Govan and Scotstoun. The new ships are replacing the fleet of 12 retiring Type 23 frigates.
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Rishi Sunak outlined the plans while attending the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, which looks set to be dominated by the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The additional frigates are part of the UK's steps to strengthen its security in the face of increased threats from Moscow.
Construction of all eight of the Type 26 frigates is expected to be completed by the mid-2030s. When operational, the ships can be deployed all over the world in defence of the UK and allies’ security.
The Prime Minister said: "Russia's actions put all of us at risk.
"As we give the Ukrainian people the support they need, we are also harnessing the breadth and depth of UK expertise to protect ourselves and our allies.
"This includes building the next generation of British warships."
The expansion of the programme to build the frigates, designed for anti-submarine warfare, follows the attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which have been blamed on the Kremlin.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: "We are investing in our fleet to ensure our Royal Navy maintains its world-leading capability to protect and defend our nation at sea.
"Supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs in Scotland, and more across the wider UK supply chain, this contract will continue to boost our British shipbuilding industry, galvanising the very best of British engineering, manufacturing and design."
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