PLANS for the construction of a new warship building factory in Glasgow have been approved.

BAE Systems has hailed the approval as a £300 million investment in the city.

The new ship assembly hall in Govan has been given the greenlight as well as a new Applied Shipbuilding Academy in Scotstoun.

The defence company has secured a $4.2 billion contract from the Ministry of Defence to build five Type 26 frigates, sustaining more than 4000 jobs and securing BAE’s shipbuilding facilities in Glasgow into the 2030s.

READ MORE: Weapons firm BAE Systems sees record orders amid Ukraine war

It also achieved key milestones on the Type 26 frigate programme with HMS Glasgow, the first in class entering the water for the first time and moving to the Scotstoun shipyard to continue further outfit, testing and commissioning.

It comes as the company’s 2022 results show a record number of orders amid the “elevated threat environment” sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

BAE Systems, Britain’s biggest defence firm, reported its highest ever order intake of £37.1 billion for last year, which saw its order backlog jump to £58.9bn.