HMS
Cardiff
will be the last Type 26 to be consolidated in the open.
(Richard Scott/NAVYPIX)

BAE Systems Naval Ships in Glasgow is outsourcing steel work and introducing a new automated panel line as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of a steelworker deficit on the UK Royal Navy’s

(RN’s) Type 26 City-class anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigate programme.

Sir Simon Lister, managing director of the Naval Ships business, said these measures – allied to the construction of a new ship assembly hall being built at the company’s Govan yard – are intended to offset shortages in steel trades while at the same time improving efficiency and productivity. However, he acknowledged during a 9 April media briefing that current labour force shortages mean that BAE Systems is unlikely to hit its scheduled delivery milestones until fourth ship HMS
Birmingham
.