The United Kingdom will supply Norway with Type 26 frigates in a GBP 10 billion deal announced on 31 August. The advanced vessels, designed for anti-submarine warfare, will enhance Euro-Atlantic security while strengthening defence-industrial ties between London and Oslo.
The agreement will see Norway operate Type 26 frigates identical to those of the Royal Navy, creating a joint fleet of 13 ships – eight British and at least five Norwegian – optimised to detect, track and neutralise hostile submarines. The collaboration will also cover shared maintenance, crew training, in-service support and personnel exchanges.
According to the UK’s Strategic Defence Review, Norway remains one of Britain’s most important allies. It was the only nation to fully deploy with the UK Carrier Strike Group in 2025 and continues to play a key role in protecting undersea infrastructure in Northern Europe as part of NATO and the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
UK Defence Secretary John Healey MP described the agreement as “historic,” noting that it will “put more world-class warships in the North Atlantic to hunt Russian submarines, protect critical infrastructure and keep both our nations secure.” He added that the deal will support thousands of jobs and confirms Britain’s defence industry as “world-leading.”
The UK Ministry of Defence stated that the programme will sustain 4,000 jobs across the UK supply chain until well into the 2030s, including more than 2,000 at BAE Systems’ Glasgow shipyards. A further 432 businesses are expected to benefit, including 222 small and medium enterprises.
The Type 26 City Class frigate is optimised for anti-submarine warfare. It features an acoustically quiet hull, advanced towed sonar array, torpedo warning system and BAE Systems’ Artisan 3D radar capable of tracking 800 targets simultaneously. Each ship will field a robust air defence suite with 12 Sea Ceptor vertical launch system (VLS) cells and 24 multi-purpose MK 41 VLS cells, providing flexibility to deploy a wide range of missiles against evolving threats.
