The UK has clinched its largest-ever warship export deal after beating US, French, and German rivals to supply Norway with a fleet of British Type-26 frigates, a move hailed as a major boost to defence ties between London and Oslo.
The £10bn agreement, confirmed by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Sunday, will see at least five frigates primarily built by BAE Systems at its Glasgow shipyards, with first deliveries scheduled for 2030. Defence secretary John Healey said the vessels would strengthen NATO’s ability to “hunt Russian submarines” and protect critical infrastructure in the North Atlantic and Arctic.
“With Norway, we will train, operate, deter, and — if necessary — fight together,” Healey declared, describing the arrangement as a “combined fleet” of 13 anti-submarine frigates between the two nations.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said his government’s choice of the UK reflected both trust in Britain’s industrial capabilities and the urgency of strengthening NATO’s High North defences. “It is the right decision and will enhance our ability to patrol and protect the maritime areas in the High North,” he said.
The deal comes as Russian submarine activity intensifies in the Arctic and North Atlantic. Last week, UK, Norwegian, and US forces, including Poseidon submarine-hunter aircraft, carried out a joint operation tracking at least one Russian submarine, the MoD confirmed. Officials stressed the mission was an “operation” rather than a training exercise.
According to the Financial Times, the landmark agreement underscores both nations’ commitment to bolstering regional security while advancing industrial cooperation. The MoD noted the contract would support 4,000 jobs in the UK, more than half in Scotland, and involve 432 domestic companies in the supply chain.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, in a call with Støre, said the deal would deliver “unparalleled interoperability for Norwegian and British forces” and foreshadowed a wider bilateral defence pact expected to be signed soon.
BAE Systems chief executive Charles Woodburn said Norway’s decision showed “confidence in British industry’s ability to deliver.” Industry insiders told the Financial Times the deal would secure the Glasgow dockyard’s order book for years, with potential spillover benefits for other UK shipyards.
Beyond Norway, the Type-26 design has already been licensed to Canada and Australia, marking it as one of the UK’s most successful defence exports in recent decades. Labour has also pledged to lift defence spending to 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035, up from 2.3 percent in 2024, positioning defence as central to its economic growth agenda.
Norway, for its part, said the two nations had agreed in principle to a framework ensuring industrial cooperation with Norwegian firms equivalent to the total value of the acquisition — a move designed to balance strategic and economic benefits.
