Scottish shipbuilding was handed a massive boost today as the UK Government confirmed it will order a further five Type 26 frigates to be built on the Clyde.
The £4.2 billion deal with defence giant BAE Systems will support 1,700 jobs across its shipyards at Govan and Scotstoun for the next decade, as well as another 2,300 jobs in the supply chain across the UK.
Three Type 26 frigates are already under construction in Scotland with the first - HMS Glasgow - due to be floated out of Govan in the coming weeks.
It means a total of eight of the advanced naval warships will be built on the Clyde between now and the mid-2030s.
Confirmation of the new order was announced by BAE Systems in a trading update to the markets this morning.
Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, 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.
"This design has already been successfully exported to Australia and Canada, its already proved itself as a world-class maritime capability, securing thousands of UK jobs and strengthening alliances with our allies.
"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."
The Type 26 frigates are just under 150m long when finished – around the length of three Olympic swimming pools – and have a top speed of more than 26 knots and a range of more than 7,000 nautical miles.
The Royal Navy ships will be capable of countering piracy and delivering humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
A flexible mission bay means the vessels could also be adapted to carry specific Armed Forces and equipment tailored for operations.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: "Scotland is a world leader in building modern, state-of-the-art warships and it's great news that our highly skilled workforce and expertise will be at the heart of delivering another five anti-submarine frigates.
"Billions of pounds of UK Government defence investment into Scotland's shipyards is already boosting our country's prosperity through supporting thousands of jobs directly and through the supply chain.
"The National Shipbuilding Office, which has a base in the UK Government hub in Edinburgh, is working with industry to deliver a 30 year pipeline of orders in the naval and commercial sectors that will boost Scotland and help level up all parts of the UK."
Chris Stephens MP, whose Glasgow South West constituency includes the Govan yard, said: "I am delighted that sustained pressure by MPs and the trade unions has paid off.
"The building of these frigates keeps shipbuilding on the Clyde, and will now allow BAE to reach out to communities as one of the largest employers.
"The workforce on the Clyde are the best shipbuilders in the world, and it is a pleasure and honour to represent them in Parliament.
"What is now required is a commitment from the MoD that the Fleet Support Ships will be built in the UK, which will be a further boost to Scottish shipbuilding."
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