The hull of the futured HMS Glasgow touched the cold waters of the River Clyde in a milestone moment for the Type 26 frigate program.
As the sun was setting at Glen Mallan, on the shores of Loch Long in Scotland, the ship was lowered from a barge into the deep water for the first time.
This marked the next phase of the float off process which saw the 6,000-tonne warship fixed to the barge one week earlier and moved from BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard.
From the shipyard, it transited to Glen Mallan where the barge slowly sunk into the water as night fell until the ship’s hull was submerged.
The following morning, it was towed upstream to Scotstoun where her construction will continue.
Chief Petty Officer Adam ‘Ash’ Hallam, one of HMS Glasgow’s Marine Engineer Group Heads, was responsible for looking for any issues or faults as the hull entered the water overnight.
He said: “Being on board HMS Glasgow and working alongside out shipbuilding partner for the very first time the ship entered the water to ensure a successful float off was an immensely proud moment.”
Glasgow’s move onto the barge in Govan was closely watched by her ship’s company, other RN personnel and specialist engineers from BAE Systems and Defence and Equipment Support (DE&S).