In a landmark announcement on August 31, 2025, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre confirmed that Norway will purchase at least five UK-designed Type 26 frigates, marking the largest military investment in the nation’s history. The £10 billion ($13.51 billion) deal, described by the UK Ministry of Defence as Britain’s biggest ever warship export, will see the Royal Norwegian Navy replace its aging fleet and strengthen maritime defenses amid rising geopolitical tensions in northern Europe.
Norway’s decision follows a lengthy and closely watched competition involving rival frigate designs from Germany, France, and the United States. Ultimately, the British offer prevailed—an outcome both governments have framed as a strategic partnership that will boost industrial ties, defense capabilities, and job creation on both sides of the North Sea.
"Norway and the United Kingdom are close allies, with common interests and strong bilateral ties. I am confident that the strategic partnership with the UK for purchasing, developing and operating frigates is the right decision," Prime Minister Støre said at a press conference in Oslo, as reported by Reuters. He emphasized that the new frigates are “essential to defend our sovereignty,” particularly given Norway’s critical role as NATO’s monitor for the vast North Atlantic region, where Russian submarines routinely operate from their base on the Kola Peninsula.
The new warships will replace four Fridtjof Nansen class frigates built in the 2000s. The Norwegian fleet has operated below strength since the loss of HNoMS Helge Ingstad in a 2018 collision, underscoring the need for renewal. The Type 26 frigates, known as City class in the Royal Navy, are specialized anti-submarine warfare ships and will be delivered as close as possible to the British specification, ensuring maximum interoperability between the two navies. Deliveries to Norway are expected to begin in 2030, with the first vessel targeted for 2029.
For the UK, the agreement is a major victory for its defense industry and a boost to Scotland’s shipbuilding sector. The warships will be constructed at BAE Systems’ Glasgow shipyards, where more than 2,000 jobs will be supported—part of a total of 4,000 UK jobs sustained by the deal well into the 2030s. According to the BBC, over 400 British businesses, including 103 in Scotland, will benefit from the contract. Scottish Secretary Ian Murray called it a demonstration of “the tremendous success of our shipbuilding industry and showcases the world-class skills and expertise of our workforce on the Clyde.”
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hailed the agreement as a driver of growth and national security. “This Government has forged new partnerships across the world to deliver for people at home and the export of our world leading Type 26 frigates to Norway will do exactly that, supporting well-paid jobs up and down the United Kingdom, from apprentices to engineers,” Starmer said. “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.”
The deal also cements a combined UK-Norwegian fleet of 13 anti-submarine warfare frigates—eight for the Royal Navy and at least five for Norway—that will operate jointly in northern Europe. This bolstered presence is seen as a direct response to increased Russian submarine activity, a threat identified by both nations’ recent strategic defense reviews. UK Defence Secretary John Healey told the BBC, “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.”
The selection of the Type 26 was driven by several factors, including its advanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities and the promise of interoperability with the Royal Navy. The ships will be equipped with the battle-tested Sea Ceptor air defense missile system and the Mark 41 vertical launch system for land attack and anti-ship missiles—a first for the Royal Navy. The Norwegian government has also indicated that industrial cooperation with Norwegian industry equivalent to the total value of the acquisition will be guaranteed, ensuring local participation and technological transfer.
Not everyone in Norway is fully convinced. Naval captain Tor Ivar Strømmen, speaking to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, argued that French and German frigates offered superior air defense. “The British Navy builds vessels for one role,” he said. “It simply has old-fashioned and quite limited air defence.” Despite such criticisms, the Norwegian government ultimately prioritized strategic partnership and shared operational doctrine with the UK.
Norway’s defense posture has shifted significantly in recent years, particularly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As NATO’s northern sentinel, Norway is ramping up defense spending and modernizing its armed forces, seeking to maintain a technological edge and ensure the security of its 5.6 million citizens. The new frigates will play a central role in monitoring Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic, an area spanning 2 million square kilometers (772,000 square miles).
The agreement comes with broader industrial and technological implications. BAE Systems has already licensed the Type 26 design to Canada and is building variants in Australia. In both countries, the ships are being adapted to local requirements, but Norway’s vessels will closely mirror the Royal Navy’s, a move that signals deep operational integration. The deal also includes the potential for Norway to order AW101 Merlin maritime helicopters, which are used by the Royal Navy as their premier anti-submarine platform. Norway already operates the utility variant of the AW101 for search and rescue and, in 2023, ordered MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to replace its NH90s. However, the Merlin offers a more comprehensive onboard anti-submarine warfare capability, aligning with the advanced features of the Type 26.
The impact of the Norwegian deal on the delivery schedule for the Royal Navy’s own Type 26s remains to be determined. British officials have stated that all eight UK frigates are still planned for delivery within the next decade, with HMS Glasgow and HMS Cardiff due to enter service in 2028. The Royal Navy is also acquiring five new Type 31 General Purpose Frigates, built at Rosyth, as part of its broader fleet renewal.
For Norway, the final contract negotiations are now underway, with the government reserving the option to purchase a sixth frigate. The draft agreement ensures industrial cooperation and signals a historic strengthening of defense ties between the two nations. As Prime Minister Støre succinctly put it, “Who is our most strategic partner? And who has delivered the best frigates?... The answer to both is the United Kingdom.”
With the ink barely dry on the agreement, both countries are preparing for a new era of naval cooperation and deterrence—one that will shape the security landscape of northern Europe for years to come.