Britain to invest 1.3 bln dollars in building new generation warships

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday announced an investment of 859 million pounds (about 1.32 billion U.S. dollars) to build the country's next generation warships, providing a major boost to its shipbuilding industry.

Britain's Ministry of Defense has signed a contract with defense contractor BAE Systems, which will work with the British government to build the Type 26 complex warships, seen as the next generation Royal Navy frigates.

Some 1700 jobs will be sustained as a result of the investment, with 600 of the jobs secured in Scotland, where the Type 26 warships will be built, Downing Street said in a statement.

Other cities and counties across the country may also benefit from the investment, including Derbyshire, West Yorkshire, Manchester, Cheshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Hampshire.

Hailing the deal as a "substantial investment" in British shipbuilding industry, Cameron said: "Investing in these warships will ensure we continue to keep our country safe, at home and abroad."

"As part of our long term economic plan, we're not just building the most advanced modern warships in the world - we are building the careers of many young people with apprenticeships that will set them up for life," the prime minister added.

The T26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) will be a multi-mission warship capable of joint and multinational operations across the full spectrum of warfare, including complex combat operations, counter-piracy, humanitarian and disaster relief work, according to the Downing Street statement. Enditem