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BAE Systems Awards Long-Lead Equipment Contracts for Future Royal Navy Type 26 Frigates

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Naval Industry News - UK
 
 
 
BAE Systems Awards Long-Lead Production Contracts for Future Royal Navy Type 26 Frigates
 
British company BAE Systems, acting as prime contractor, awarded today a number of long-lead equipment manufacturing contracts to seven suppliers for the Type 26 Global Combat Ship, worth more than £170million. In addition to Raytheon Anschuetz (read our dedicated story here) contracts were awarded to Babcock, David Brown Gear Systems, GE, Raytheon Anschuetz, Rolls-Royce Power Engineering, Rohde & Schwarz and WR Davis.

Engines, weapons handling system, uptakes, downtakes, METOC, navigation and brigde systems, gearbox, electric motor and some other equipment are now on order.
     
British company BAE Systems, acting as prime contractor, awarded today a number of long-lead equipment manufacturing contracts to seven suppliers for the Type 26 Global Combat Ship worth more than £170million. In addition to Raytheon Anschuetz (read our dedicated story here) contracts were awarded to Babcock, David Brown Gear Systems, GE, Raytheon Anschuetz, Rolls-Royce Power Engineering, Rohde & Schwarz and WR Davis.
Raytheon Anschütz has been selected by BAE Systems to provide the Integrated Navigation and Bridge System (INBS) for the UK Royal Navy’s new Type 26 Global Combat Ships. Picture: BAE Systems
     
GE Marine has been awarded the contract to supply electrical power and propulsion to the Type 26 Global Combat Ships for the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). When equipping the new vessels, GE Marine found the right balance between technological advancement and maintaining the tried and tested robust design that customers expect. Among the many advantages of GE’s system, customers will benefit from an energy-efficient, robust and low noise solution thanks to the use of its advanced anti-vibration technology. The naval design, arc-proof version of GE’s MV3000 marine converter provides the variable speed drive, enhancing safety, performance and maturity in the power and propulsion system.

Rolls-Royce has signed a contract to supply the MT30 gas turbine packages for the first three Type 26 Global Combat Ships for the Royal Navy. Rolls-Royce will now begin manufacture of the gas turbines and the surrounding steel packages for the ships, which are to be built by prime contractor BAE Systems. “The selection of the MT30, the most powerful marine gas turbine in operation today, for the Type 26 continues our long and successful history of developing and supplying gas turbines for the Royal Navy fleet.

Rohde & Schwarz has received an order from BAE Systems to equip the Type 26 Global Combat Ship (T26 GCS) with an integrated communications system for the British Royal Navy. The solution was selected based on its proven technology, usability and cost effectiveness. The core component is the R&S NAVICS, a new IP-based switching system with a unique security concept. The integrated communications system from Rohde & Schwarz for the Type 26 GCS covers both internal and external communications. Built around the innovative R&S NAVICS IP-based switching system, it interconnects the distributed on-board voice terminals as well as all other subsystems for internal and external communications via a uniform IP network. What's different about this system is the extensive use of ruggedized, conventional IT technology with accreditable security provided by Rohde & Schwarz. As a result, the number of voice terminals can be reduced and state-of-the-art ATEX smartphones employed within security-critical environments ("man on the move"). Operation of the technically complex system is kept uncomplicated through the use of an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI). With this system, BAE Systems and Rohde & Schwarz will bring the advantages of IT technology to naval communications for the first time, while also helping with the issue of obsolescence. A common infrastructure will be set up for all services on board, named "shared network infrastructure" and "shared computing environment". The open architecture will facilitate connection of future technologies. External communications will be handled by the Rohde & Schwarz VHF/UHF and HF transceivers from the R&S M3SR family of radios (R&S Series4400 and R&S Series4100). The Rohde & Schwarz radio equipment will provide both TRANSEC and advanced high-speed data transmission. RF filters and hopping EPM filters will ensure interference-free communications. The unique RF filter technology will be combined with the latest Rohde & Schwarz antenna and mast designs.

Geoff Searle, Type 26 programme director at BAE Systems, said: "Today's announcement is exciting for everyone involved, as it will enable our partners in the the supply chain to start manufacturing key equipment for the first three ships. This reinforces the strong momentum behind the programme and is an important step towards the start of manufacturing the Type 26 ships for the Royal Navy in Glasgow next year."

BAE currently expects to deliver 13 Type 26 ships to the Royal Navy (the first batch consisting in three ships), which will remain in service until as late as 2060. The Type 26 Global Combat Ship is planned to replace the existing Type 23 frigates of the UK Royal Navy. Type 26 combat system will largely come out of the current Type 23 Frigates as they go out of service, but the new vessels will get 127mm main guns & MK41 VLS modules.The shipbuilding program consists of up to 13 ships, with the first ship planned to be launched in 2019 and enter service after 2020.

Link to our updated Type 26 Global Combat Ship technical datasheet