Defence Secretary names new warship HMS Belfast

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has unveiled the name of one of the new Type 26 frigates as HMS Belfast during a trip to Northern Ireland.

HMS Belfast will provide advanced protection for the likes of the UK’s nuclear deterrent and Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

The original HMS Belfast supported the Battle of North Cape, the Normandy landings and the Korean War and is now at the Imperial War Museum and is permanently docked in London.

Fallon said: “I’m hugely proud that the second name announced of our eight cutting-edge new Type 26 frigates will be HMS Belfast. She and her sister ships will form the backbone of our Navy well into the 2060s, keeping us safe by protecting the country’s nuclear deterrent and new aircraft carriers. It’s apt to name this ship at the famous site which built the very first HMS Belfast. Thanks to our ambitious new National Shipbuilding Strategy, this shipyard once again has the chance to be involved in building a British warship thanks to the competition to build a new class of light frigates for our growing Royal Navy.”