UK and Norway Sign £10 Billion Contract for Type 26 Frigates
On 31 August, the UK and Norway signed a landmark £10 billion intergovernmental agreement to procure at least five new Type 26 anti-submarine frigates jointly. The deal creates a combined fleet of 13 such warships to operate together in northern Europe. Eight for the Royal Navy and at least five for the Royal Norwegian Navy. All vessels will be built by BAE Systems at the Clyde shipyards in Glasgow, which are already producing eight Type 26 frigates for the UK.
Under the pact, Norway will buy five or more of these advanced British frigates. Officials describe the purchase as Norway’s largest-ever defence investment. The ships will replace older vessels in the Royal Norwegian Navy, and they will be built to the exact specifications as their UK counterparts. This means joint crew training, shared logistics and interoperability at sea. Norway’s defence ministry emphasizes the frigates will be “as identical as possible” to the UK design, reducing development risk and easing long-term maintenance. The first Norwegian ship is expected to be delivered around 2030.
Construction of the Type 26 frigates will give a significant boost to the UK industry. The Ministry of Defence estimates the program will sustain about 4,000 British jobs across 400 companies, including over 2,000 at the Glasgow yards. Norway’s procurement also includes extensive industrial cooperation as Norwegian firms will work on upkeep, upgrades and related projects, and an agreement will bind the UK to collaborate with Norwegian industry roughly equal to the purchase value. The unified fleet will use state-of-the-art anti-submarine sensors and weapons and will significantly strengthen NATO’s northern flank.
Naval leaders say the new Type 26 fleets will operate as an integrated force. Having a standard frigate design means Norwegian and British crews can train together and even serve interchangeably on identical ships. The agreement also includes shared maintenance and long-term support plans, ensuring that joint exercises and personnel exchanges will continue for decades.
Both governments have emphasized the broader impact of the deal. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the export will “create jobs, drive growth and protect national security in the UK”. Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called the outcome historic, stating it fulfills Norway’s long-term defense plan and affirms the strength of bilateral relations. An intergovernmental framework agreement will soon be finalized to lock in details so that contracts with BAE Systems can be signed. The partnership cements a deep UK–Norway naval alliance and greatly enhances both nations’ maritime security.