Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead is building sections of the Royal Navy’s new Type 26 advanced anti-submarine warfare vessels and has successfully completed the bow for HMS Birmingham. Tony McDonough reports
Birkenhead shipyard Cammell Laird has reached a major milestone in the Royal Navy Type 26 frigate build programme.
Workers at the yard are building sections of the new advanced anti-submarine warfare vessels on behalf of main contractor BAE Systems and have just completed the bow for HMS Birmingham. It has set sail from the Mersey in the last few days.
In all the Royal Navy has commissioned BAE to deliver eight Type 26 vessels. They are HMS Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Edinburgh and London. All are expected to be in service by the mid-2030s.
APCL Group, which includes Cammell Laird, secured contracts with BAE in 2023. Sections are being built in Birkenhead and at another APCL yard at A&P Tyne and will be assembled at BAE Systems’ site in Govan in Scotland.
The bow block steel for HMS Birmingham was cut on August 6, 2024, and is now complete, consisting of 12 units varying in size and weight.
Cammell Laird has also fitted and welded more than 8,000 hot work items (secondary steel seats, pipework) as well as major lockout equipment.
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In a statement the company said: “APCL Cammell Laird is proud that multiple trade apprentices have gained valuable experience working on the bow block throughout its duration – all working alongside SQEP tradespeople.
“At the peak of the build, a team of more than 100 white and blue collar APCL employees worked across the programme.”