Type 26 Frigate
The Royal Navy’s next-generation ASW frigate — a quiet, acoustically optimized design that became one of the most successful Western surface-combatant exports of its era, selected by Australia, Canada, and Norway, and building for the UK as the City-class.
An acoustically quiet, ASW-optimised frigate designed for carrier and submarine escort — the parent of the “Global Combat Ship” family selected by three allied navies, with the first UK hull, HMS Glasgow, fitting out for sea trials.
Overview
The Type 26, designated the City-class in British service, is a next-generation anti-submarine warfare frigate developed for the Royal Navy and adapted as a common base design for Australia, Canada, and Norway. Its mission set is built around acoustic discretion for SSBN and carrier-group escort, supported by a large flexible-mission bay and a mixed VLS load of strike-length Mk 41 cells and quad-packed CAMM/Sea Ceptor air-defence missiles. The design has become one of the most widely ordered Western escort hulls in decades, with over 30 ships planned across four nations.
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- Development
- Design & capabilities
- Variants
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- Advantages
- Drawbacks / limitations
- Counterparts
- Outlook
- Key specifications
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- Analyst Section
- Procurement & contracts
- Suppliers & related companies
- Comparable systems — analyst view
- Analyst note