The United Kingdom has secured a £10 billion (about €11.6 billion) deal to supply the Norwegian navy with at least five new warships.
The deal to supply Type 26 frigates will be the UK’s “largest warship export deal by value”, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, while Norway said it would be its “largest investment in defence capabilities” to date.
The British government stressed that the deal would support 4,000 jobs in the UK “by the 2030s”, including more than 2,000 at BAE Systems’ shipyards in Glasgow where the frigates will be built.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says the deal will “boost growth and protect national security for working people”.
“This success is testament to the thousands of people across the country who are not only delivering these next-generation capabilities to our Armed Forces, but also national security for the UK, our Norwegian partners and NATO for years to come,” he added.
The deal is also expected to support more than 400 British businesses, including 103 in Scotland, the Ministry of Defence added.
The deal represents a victory for the British government and defense industry over France, Germany and the United States – which were also being considered by Norway as potential sellers.
The warships will be built at the BAE Systems shipyard in the Govan area of Glasgow, where frigates are currently being built for the Royal Navy.
Meanwhile, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who informed Sir Keir of the decision to choose the UK in a phone call on Saturday evening, said the partnership “represents a historic strengthening of defence cooperation between our two countries.”Telegraph/