BAE signs £127m deal to design new frigates for the Navy

BAE systems has won a £127m, four-year contract to develop the next generation of warships for the Royal Navy.

The MoD also yesterday signed off the building of a fifth of BAE's Astute-class submarine and the early procurement activities for a sixth – at a cost of more than £300m.

The warship deal signals a shift into the "assessment phase" for the new Type 26 frigates – designed to be used to protect larger battleships or to fight enemy submarines – to replace the Types 22 and 23 which will start to be retired at the end of this decade.

I just hope they don't cut back the order like they did with the Type 45's and Astute submarines. If anything these are even more important as it's frigates that patrol against drug smuggling and pirates.

But wouldn't more smaller craft be more effective? Particularly for anti piracy work.

But wouldn't more smaller craft be more effective? Particularly for anti piracy work.