By Eniola Amadu
The UK has struck a landmark £10bn deal to supply Norway’s navy with at least five new Type 26 frigates, in what the Ministry of Defence (MoD) described as the country’s “biggest ever warship export deal by value.”
The agreement, hailed by Oslo as its largest defence capability investment to date, will support 4,000 UK jobs well into the 2030s, including more than 2,000 at BAE Systems’ Glasgow shipyards where the ships will be built.
READ ALSO: Heathrow sponsors reform UK conference as big business backs Farage’s rise
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the announcement, calling it a boost to growth and national security.
“This success is a testament to the thousands of people across the country who are delivering next-generation capabilities not just for our Armed Forces but also for our Norwegian partners and NATO,” he said.
The deal will also benefit more than 400 British businesses, including over 100 in Scotland.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard described it as the “biggest British warship deal in history” and a “huge vote of confidence” in UK defence workers.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre confirmed his government’s choice of the UK in a call with Starmer, stressing that Britain was both “our most strategic partner” and the provider of “the best frigates.”
He said the partnership represented a “historic strengthening” of defence ties between the two countries.
The agreement will create a combined UK-Norwegian fleet of 13 anti-submarine frigates, enhancing NATO’s northern flank and boosting maritime security against Russian submarines.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the navies would “train, operate, deter, and if necessary fight together” under the deal.
Meanwhile, deliveries are expected to begin in 2030, though Norway has requested its first frigate by 2029.
Eight Type 26 frigates are already under construction for the Royal Navy, with HMS Glasgow and HMS Cardiff due to enter service in 2028.
READ ALSO: Uk invent AI-powered stethoscope to diagnose heart conditions in15 seconds
How the Norwegian order will affect UK delivery timelines remains under discussion.
The advanced Type 26 is designed to detect and neutralise enemy submarines, a capability seen as crucial given Russia’s growing submarine presence in the North Atlantic. Pollard noted that Moscow had been identified in the UK’s defence review as the “principal threat” to NATO security.
