A NEW 6,000-tonne Royal Navy ship is set to visit Scotstoun shipyard as engineers "bring her to life".

HMS Glasgow has already begun its float-off process, which is when it enters the water for the first time.

Over the coming days, Bankies may catch a glimpse of the ship undertaking a series of complex manoeuvres that will move her from BAE Systems' Govan shipyard, onto a barge before being towed downriver to a deep-water location in the West of Scotland.

She will then return to BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard further along the Clyde, where she will undergo the next stages of outfit before test and commissioning.

Ben Wallace, Secretary of State for Defence, said: "HMS Glasgow entering the water for the first time marks a major milestone for the Type 26 programme which supports thousands of highly skilled jobs in Scotland and more across the wider UK supply chain.

"We're continuing to invest in the British shipbuilding industry to maintain the Royal Navy's cutting-edge ability to defend our nation, while strengthening our partnership with allies."

David Shepherd, Type 26 programme director, BAE Systems, said: “Seeing HMS GLASGOW in the water for the first time will be a proud and exciting moment for the thousands of people involved in this great endeavour.

"She will soon transfer to our Scotstoun yard in Glasgow where we look forward to installing her complex systems and bringing her to life.”

HMS Glasgow has been under construction since steel was cut in 2017.

The second and third ships, HMS Cardiff and HMS Belfast, are currently being build in Govan.

The build process for each ship involves its structure being completed in Govan; skilled teams of fabricators and steelworkers construct the units before they are assembled into the forward and aft blocks which are joined together before the ship departs.

In Scotstoun, the ship’s outfit is completed and the complex systems are set to work before test and commissioning takes place.

HMS Glasgow will be delivered to the Royal Navy in the mid-2020s.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Defence awarded BAE Systems a £4.2 billion contract to build a further five Type 26 City Class frigates for the Royal Navy, sustaining 4,000 jobs across BAE Systems and the wider UK maritime supply chain.