Article Posted on : - Aug 21, 2012

Computer-generated image of the basic specification of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship. Photo: BAE Systems/MoD.

LONDON (BNS): The latest design of the Royal Navy's Type 26 Global Combat Ship (T26 GCS), the next generation of warships, was unveiled on Monday by the UK Ministry of Defence.

The multi-mission warship, which is due to come into service after 2020, will be used by the Royal Navy in combat and counter-piracy operations, and to support humanitarian and disaster relief work around the world, according to a statement by the UK MoD.

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 among the most advanced vessels in the Royal Navy's fleet.

It is expected to feature 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.

"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," Peter Luff, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, was quoted as saying in the statement.

The T26 GCS is one of several projects, including the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, which will see UK shipbuilding provide world class equipment for the Royal Navy.