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United Kingdom BAE Systems
Type 26 City
Next-generation Royal Navy anti-submarine warfare frigate designed around a large mission bay, towed-array sonar and Mk 41 vertical launch cells, replacing the Type 23. The design has also been selected by Australia and Canada as the basis for their own future frigate fleets.
In service since 2028 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
6,900
t
26
kn
7,000
nmi
48
VLS
157
crew
💲 ≈ $1,700,000,000 — Approximate build cost per ship
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
UK export-licensed
Subject to UK SPIRE licensing (ECJU); generally available to allied states.
Channel: Government-to-government or direct
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2028. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$4.3B – $6.0B
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~35 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 1× 5 in Mark 45 naval gun
- VLS cells
Vertical-launch missile cells on a warship — a proxy for magazine depth. Higher means more missiles before rearming.
- 48 Stronger than 76% of warships
- Torpedo tubes
Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships).
- 2 Bottom 9% of warships
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 149.9 m
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- Artisan 997 3D radar
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- Type 2150 bow sonar, Type 2087 towed-array sonar, large flexible mission bay
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $1,700,000,000 Stronger than 33% of warships
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 0 Bottom 4% of warships
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 45% of warships
Specifications compiled from public BAE Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Navantia Alvaro de Bazan class (F100) 
Fincantieri Bergamini class (FREMM) Frequently asked questions
What is the main armament of the BAE Systems Type 26 City? +
The BAE Systems Type 26 City's primary weapon is the 1× 5 in Mark 45 naval gun.
What is the BAE Systems Type 26 City used for? +
The BAE Systems Type 26 City is a warship typically used for air defense, isr.
How many countries operate the BAE Systems Type 26 City? +
The BAE Systems Type 26 City is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the BAE Systems Type 26 City cost? +
The BAE Systems Type 26 City has an approximate unit cost of 1,700,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
