BAE Systems has cut steel for the first of three offshore patrol boats it is building for Britain's Royal Navy.

The cut, which symbolizes the start of production on the 290-foot-long vessel, was performed at a Glasgow shipyard by Bernard Gray, the Ministry of Defense's chief of Defense Material.

The vessel is based on a proven BAE Systems design which is already in service with the Brazilian Navy and Royal Thai Navy but modified to Royal Navy requirements. It includes a modified flight deck capable of operating Merlin helicopters, larger stores and more accommodation for embarked troops.

BAE systems said the three patrol boats will also feature a company-designed operating system -- Shared Infrastructure -- which uses virtual technologies to host and integrate ship sensors, weapons and management systems.

The Shared Infrastructure system will be introduced across the Royal Navy fleet over the next decade.

The new Royal Navy OPVs will be capable of ocean patrol with a range of 5,000 nautical miles and have a maximum speed of 24 knots.