Views of Type 26 frigate HMS Glasgow on barge on the banks of the River Clyde
  • last year
Views of Type 26 frigate HMS Glasgow on a barge on the banks of the River Clyde as the vessel waits to be towed by barge to Loch Long.

DEFENCE giant BAE Systems has hailed a landmark moment for the first in a fleet of eight new warships built on the Clyde.

HMS The first Type 26 City Class frigate, HMS Glasgow, has begun the "float-off" process, which will see the vessel enter the water for the first time.

Over the coming days, the ship, weighing nearly 6,000 tonnes, will undertake a series of complex manoeuvres to move her from BAE Systems' Govan shipyard onto a barge before being towed down the Clyde to a deep-water location in the west of Scotland.

HMS Glasgow is the first in a new generation of cutting-edge frigates called the City-class, exceptional ships designed to adapt and to deliver manpower and capabilities to meet every challenge.

HMS Glasgow’s flight deck will be able to accommodate helicopters up to the size of the RAF’s Chinooks, while her loading bay can quickly adapt to house and deploy vessels, vehicles and containers.

The result? A frigate empowered to adapt to changing missions, from disaster relief and humanitarian aid operations to embarking military forces or supporting diving operations.

HMS Glasgow is currently in build alongside River Clyde, Glasgow.
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