Bow section of Royal Navy warship arrives in River Clyde

The bow section of the latest Type 26 frigate being constructed in Glasgow has arrived in the River Clyde.

The front part of HMS Birmingham, fabricated at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Merseyside, was carried up the water on a barge.

The modular design of modern ships allows work to be distributed to different shipyards throughout the UK, a strategy aimed at sustaining the domestic shipbuilding sector.

The bow unit will now be moved into the huge new shipbuilding hall at Govan where BAE System, the main contractor, is assembling the warship.

HMS Birmingham is the fourth of eight Type 26 frigates, which are advanced anti-submarine warships, being built in Glasgow for the Royal Navy.

The first of them - HMS Glasgow - entered the water late in 2022 and is still being fitted out at BAE's Scotstoun site, along with the second ship HMS Cardiff.

The third and fourth in the series, HMS Belfast and HMS Birmingham, are being constructed inside the Janet Harvey shipbuilding hall, named after pioneering female electrician, which is big enough to house two ships side-by-side.

The steel has also been cut for a fifth ship, HMS Sheffield, and last year it was announced Norway is planning to buy five Type 26 frigates in a deal worth £10bn.

The ships for the Royal Navy are expected to enter service from 2028 to 2035.

BAE Systems currently employs about 2,000 workers including apprentices at its two shipyards, Govan and Scotstoun, in Glasgow,

Other sections for the frigates have been built at A&P Tyne at Hebburn and Ferguson Marine in Port Glasgow.