Portsmouth South MP Flick Drummond today welcomed the Government’s announcement that the Royal Navy’s new Type-26 frigates are a step closer to reality.
A £472 million contract has been signed with BAE Systems to develop further designs for the ships.
About 200 people at the defence firm – some of them in Portsmouth - are employed on the project.
The ships’ combat management system is being developed at BAE in Broadoak and at a Portsdown Hill, and the radars are set to be made in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
‘This multi-million pound deal to extend the T26 Demonstration Phase to June 2017 ahead of manufacture shows the Government is committed to building these eight anti-submarine global combat ships that are vital to the defence of the country,’ said Flick.
‘Portsmouth now has an important high technology role to play in the design and manufacture of the systems these ships will use. The announcement will help to secure jobs and could even lead to more employment in the area.
'It also shows that the city is able to meet the challenge of helping to develop complex warships to meet the needs of the Royal Navy in the years to come.'