IRIA News

5 minute read

Norway has selected the United Kingdom as its strategic partner for the purchase of new frigates in its largest military investment to date, valued at £10 billion ($13.5 billion).

The agreement will see the Royal Norwegian Navy acquire at least five British-made Type 26 frigates, significantly enhancing the country’s maritime defense capabilities.

Germany, France, and the United States had submitted competing offers. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store announced the decision, stating, “The frigates are an essential part of our defense because they are key to defending our sovereignty.” Norway currently monitors a 2 million square kilometer stretch of the North Atlantic, an area used extensively by Russia’s nuclear submarine fleet.

Store told reporters the deal represented “a historic strengthening of the defense cooperation between our two countries.” He described the agreement as one that will deepen ties between Norway and Britain for decades. British officials view the deal as a strategic win against rival European shipbuilders, demonstrating London’s ability to secure major defense exports while reinforcing NATO’s northern flank.

Joint UK-Norwegian fleet

The agreement will eventually result in a joint fleet of 13 anti-submarine warfare frigates, combining eight British and at least five Norwegian ships. These vessels will operate together in northern Europe, strengthening NATO’s ability to monitor and deter Russian submarine activity in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the deal, describing it as worth $13.5 billion and calling it the biggest ever warship export deal by value.” He stated that the partnership would drive growth, enhance security, and demonstrate confidence in the UK’s defense industry.

Today we’ve agreed a £10 billion deal with Norway to export our world-leading Type 26 frigates.

This deal shows how this government is delivering for working people: creating jobs, driving growth and protecting our national security.

Our Plan for Change in action. pic.twitter.com/Ka8XEIZ6Bk

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) August 31, 2025

“This success is testament to the thousands of people across the country who are not just delivering this next generation capabilities for our Armed Forces but also national security for the UK, our Norwegian partners and NATO for years to come,” Starmer said.

Boost to British Industry

The British government said the project would support 4,000 jobs across the UK, including more than 2,000 in Scotland. The ships will be built at BAE Systems’ Glasgow shipyards, which are already constructing frigates for the Royal Navy. The deal is also expected to benefit more than 400 British companies, including 103 in Scotland.

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the contract showed the “world-class skills and expertise of our workforce on the Clyde.” The government has promoted the Type 26 City-class frigates as modern anti-submarine vessels capable of tracking Russian submarines in contested waters.

Norway shares a land border with Russia and has stepped up defense spending following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. NATO leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, have been pushing the allies to ramp up their defense spending amid increasing threats from Russia.

The Norwegian government emphasizes that the agreement includes guarantees for industrial cooperation with local industries, ensuring a matching total value of the acquisition. Store said the deal represented “the biggest purchase to date” for Norway and confirmed that the country had initially planned for five frigates, with an option for an additional vessel.

Delivery timeline and fleet integration

The Type 26 frigates destined for Norway will be built to the same specifications as those used by the Royal Navy. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2029, with full integration into NATO’s northern maritime operations planned for the following decade.

A UK defense source told the BBC that the sequencing of deliveries for both navies still needs to be finalized. Eight Type 26 ships are already being constructed for the Royal Navy to replace ageing Type 23 frigates. HMS Glasgow and HMS Cardiff are currently being fitted out and are due to enter service in 2028.

The Norwegian order raises questions about delivery timelines, but officials have insisted that the Royal Navy will still receive all eight of its planned ships within the next decade.

Strategic defense implications

UK Defense Secretary John Healey described the agreement as a commitment to “train, operate, deter, and, if necessary, fight together” under NATO. He said: “Our navies will work as one, leading the way in NATO, with this deal putting more world-class warships in the North Atlantic to hunt Russian submarines, protect our critical infrastructure, and keep both our nations secure.”

Defense Minister Luke Pollard called it the “biggest British warship deal in history” and a clear vote of confidence in British workers. He emphasized that Russian submarines in the North Atlantic are considered the principal threat to both the UK and NATO security.

Criticism and debate in Norway

Not everyone in Norway welcomed the decision. Naval captain Tor Ivar Strommen of the Norwegian Naval Academy argued that French and German frigates offered superior capabilities. “The British Navy builds vessels for one role,” he told Norwegian media. “It simply has old-fashioned and quite limited air defense.”

Despite this criticism, Store defended the choice, saying the decision was based on two questions: “Who is our most strategic partner? And who has delivered the best frigates? The answer to both is the United Kingdom.”

Shipbuilding expansion in Britain

The BAE Systems shipyard in Glasgow has recently undergone a $300 million modernization, including the opening of a new construction hall known as the “frigate factory.” The facility allows two frigates to be built simultaneously.

Two additional British frigate classes are also under development. Canada and Australia are building their own versions of the Type 26 under licensed contracts, while the UK is also constructing five new Type 31 General Purpose Frigates at Rosyth.