UK secures largest-ever warship export order, with Norway confirming deal worth $13.5B

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The UK has secured its largest-ever warship export order, with Norway confirming it will purchase at least five British-built Type 26 frigates in a deal worth £10 billion (approximately $13.5 billion) to the UK economy.

The UK Ministry of Defence announced the agreement on Sunday, saying the vessels will be primarily built in Glasgow by BAE Systems, with first deliveries expected in 2030.

The contract will support around 4,000 jobs in the UK supply chain through the 2030s, including more than 2,000 at BAE Systems' shipyards on the River Clyde.

A total of 432 businesses across the country are expected to benefit, including 222 small and medium-sized enterprises. Of these, 103 are in Scotland, 47 in northwest England, and 35 in the West Midlands.

Both governments described the deal as a historic strengthening of defense ties between two close NATO allies amid what they called increased Russian aggression in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions.

Norway's decision follows similar moves by Australia and Canada, which have also chosen the UK's Type 26 design for their respective navies.

The purchase will see the Royal Navy and Royal Norwegian Navy operate a combined fleet of 13 anti-submarine warfare frigates -- eight British and at least five Norwegian -- aimed at reinforcing NATO’s northern flank.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement that the deal is “what our Plan for Change is about -- creating jobs, driving growth, and protecting national security for working people.”

He added that the exports would “support well-paid jobs up and down the UK, from apprentices to engineers.”

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Store said the choice of the UK represented “a historic strengthening of the defense cooperation between our two countries,” adding that the partnership would help his country meet long-term defense objectives.

He acknowledged that the decision had been "difficult," with strong competing bids from France, Germany, and the US.

The new London-Oslo partnership will also include shared maintenance, extensive crew training, in-service support, and personnel exchange.

It comes ahead of a wider UK-Norway defense agreement aimed at boosting Euro-Atlantic security and strengthening industrial cooperation.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey said: “With Norway, we will train, operate, deter, and -- if necessary -- fight together. 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.”

He said the agreement confirmed Britain’s defense industry as “world-leading” and would support “thousands of high-skilled jobs for the next 15 years and beyond.”