BAE Systems has been awarded £4.2bn to build five Type 26 frigates for the Royal British Navy

The British Ministry of Defense has signed a contract with BAE Systems to produce new Type 26 frigates.

Here's What We Know

The contract value was £4.2 billion (~$5 billion). The deal will create 1,700 jobs in the UK over the next decade. As part of the agreement, the company is committed to build five more Type 26-class frigates for the Royal Navy.

They will be called HMS Birmingham, HMS Sheffield, HMS Newcastle, HMS Edinburgh and HMS London. The new frigates will join a trio of ships whose construction has already begun. They are HMS Glasgow, HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast.

HMS Glasgow will be the first to enter service with the Royal Navy. This will happen in 2028. All other frigates should be built by the middle of the next decade.

The Type 26 class ships will replace the Type 23 frigates. They will be 149 meters long, almost 21 meters wide and have a displacement of 8,000 tons. They will have a top speed of just over 48 km/h (26 knots) and a cruising range of nearly 13,000 km (7,000 nautical miles).

The Type 26 frigates will receive a 127 mm Mk 45 artillery system, 30 mm DS 30M Mk 2 modules, the ship's Mark 15 Phalanx CIWS anti-aircraft artillery system, and the M134 Minigun machine gun. The ships will also carry Sea Ceptor air defense systems and will be able to launch Tomahawk missiles.

Source: BAE Systems