Officer Cadets and staff at Britannia Royal Naval College have been given a glimpse of the Royal Navy’s next generation frigate.
A 3D simulator of the new Type 26 frigate allowed the Cadets and staff to explore the ship, which ultimately are due to replace the specialist submarine-hunting Type 23 frigates currently in Service.
An initial order has been placed for the first three of eight new global combat ships.
Officer Cadet Jessica Laing, a budding Warfare Officer, said: “It was very interesting to get an insight into the new frigates and see the ships that I could potentially be working on when I complete my training.
"The 3D graphics were excellent and enabled me to get a real-life representation of what to expect.”
The new ships are among a number of vessels on order for the Royal Navy, which includes another new batch of frigates, the Type 31e .
Lieutenant David Clark, one of the Divisional Training Officers at BRNC said: “With a new generation of ships comes a new generation of Naval officers.
"It’s great for them to see the capabilities that these platforms will deliver and how technology can be used to improve the design phase of Defence procurement and acquisition."
The Type 26 frigates will protect the nation's nuclear deterrent and the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers, the first of which, HMS Queen Elizabeth, has recently taken to sea for the first time.
These world-class ships specialise in anti-submarine warfare, protecting the UK's overseas territories and interests across the globe. The flexible design will allow the capabilities to be adapted throughout its lifespan to counter future threats.
The new frigates will be 60ft longer and 2,000 tonnes heavier than their predecessors, equipped with bow and towed array sonar, Sea Ceptor air defence missiles and a 5ins main gun.
Shipbuilding yards on the Clyde will be responsible for building and fitting out the first three of the class.
Commander Andy Kellett, Navy Command Headquarters Type 26 Requirements Manager, said: “The first two names have been announced as HMS Glasgow and HMS Belfast.
"Steel was cut on HMS Glasgow in Jul 2017 by the Secretary of State and full production is underway and they are expected to enter service in the 2020s.
"The 3D simulator represents the live design and is part of the digital transformation of Naval Shipbuilding that the National Shipbuilding Strategy envisaged.
"It is also a fantastic tool to show the wider naval community exactly what the ship will look like when it is built, years ahead of delivery.”
