HMS Lancaster set to rejoin fleet
Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Lancaster is moving closer to rejoining the fleet following a two year overhaul programme in Devonport.
The vessel is expected to be back in its homeport of Portsmouth by the end of 2019.
Lancaster has undergoing undergone extensive upgrades including installation of the new Artisan 3D radar, improved navigational radar and new-generation Sea Ceptor missile system. The backbone of the ship has also been strengthened with 200 new steel inserts fitted to reinforce Lancaster in heavy seas.
The new kit will be commissioned in the autumn ahead of planned initial sea trials early in 2020.
The whole Type 23 class is undergoing the mid-life refit that will allow the frigates to continue up to the early 2030s.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Eurosatory 2026: Schiebel’s frigate-first strategy indicates a shift in UAV competition
Schiebel is pursuing opportunities in the UK and France while leveraging its integration with Naval Group’s FDI frigate programme to create new naval business across Europe.
-
Eurosatory 2026: Red Cat eyes South American market for USV-led EEZ surveillance
Success with the US Army’s Black Widow programme may have strengthened Red Cat’s international position, but executives believe the next growth opportunity lies in uncrewed surface vessels.
-
US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits
A Pentagon push to procure warships from Japanese and South Korean shipyards could reshape allied naval industrial strategy, but critics warn the approach risks hollowing out the domestic base Washington is seeking to restore.
-
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.