In front of the assembled BAE Systems workforce, Fallon officially began the manufacture of ‘HMS Glasgow’.
He also met some of the 260 apprentices that will be supported by the work on the frigate on the Clyde by the autumn.
The Ministry of Defence announced earlier this month that BAE Systems had been awarded a contract to manufacture the first three ships, which will secure approximately 1,700 shipbuilding jobs in Scotland and 1,700 jobs through the supply chain across Britain until 2035.
The Type 26 is an advanced Anti-Submarine Warfare frigate that will provide essential protection to our nuclear deterrent and aircraft carriers.
DefSec officially begins build of HMS #Glasgow delivering on gov’t commitment to a programme that will sustain 1700 jobs in #Scotland pic.twitter.com/nua2FTTna7
— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) 20 July 2017
Fallon said: “Today marks a historic milestone for the Royal Navy, Scottish shipbuilding and UK Defence more widely. HMS Glasgow and the other seven frigates in this new class will protect our powerful new aircraft carriers and nuclear deterrent, helping keep Britain safe across the world.
“The Type 26 is a cutting-edge warship that will maintain our naval power with a truly global reach. Designed for a service life of at least 25 years, the Type 26 frigates will form a backbone of the future Royal Navy surface fleet well into the future.”
Video credit: Ministry of Defence (Twitter): http://bit.ly/2ti8vK8
