A graphical representation of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship (Copyright: BAE Systems)
The UK has secured its biggest-ever warship export deal following Norway’s decision to procure Type 26 frigates for anti-submarine warfare. Norway’s biggest ever defence procurement deal will see a combined fleet of 13 anti-submarine warfare frigates – eight British and at least five Norwegian – operate jointly in Northern Europe, in an effort to strengthen NATO’s northern flank.
Delivery of the British Type-26 frigates to Norway will start in 2030. The UK beat France, Germany, and the US to secure the contract from Norway, which will support 4,000 jobs across the UK supply chain until well into the 2030s, including more than 2,000 at BAE Systems’ Glasgow shipyards, according to the UK government, which announced the major export win on August 31.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said it had been a difficult choice with the four candidates — France, Germany, the US and the UK — providing strong and competitive proposals. “They are all close allies, and I wish to express my appreciation for a constructive process and dialogue. All four allies are strategic partners for Norway. The extensive cooperation on security and defence policy will continue at full strength with all of them,” Støre said in an official statement.
The Type 26 frigates are warships specifically designed to detect, track down and combat submarines. The Norwegian and British vessels will be as identical as possible, and have the same technical specifications. Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik said having identical vessels will enable the two countries to operate even more efficiently together on challenging missions. The Norwegian frigates will be equipped with anti-submarine capable helicopters. A decision on what type of helicopter the Norwegian frigates will be operating has not yet been made.
“It will also reduce costs and make joint maintenance easier. Additionally, it opens up the possibility for us to perform joint training of personnel, and perhaps even use Norwegian and British crew interchangeably. This is something we will look into further within the framework of the strategic partnership,” said Sandvik.
The strategic partnership with the United Kingdom will be accompanied by extensive industrial cooperation. In the draft agreement between the two countries, Norway said the UK has guaranteed industrial cooperation with Norwegian industry, equivalent to the total value of the acquisition.
“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,” said UK Defence Secretary John Healey in an official statement announcing the deal.
The Norwegian and British governments will soon finalise a binding agreement which sets the framework for the strategic partnership. Once the agreement is signed, the two parties will enter into contract negotiations with the main British supplier, BAE Systems.
In parallel, Norwegian and British authorities will negotiate separate industrial cooperation agreements for various collaborative projects with relevant industrial partners.
The UK’s Type 26 frigate programme has experienced delays and cost overruns, but the project is said to be still on track to replace the Royal Navy’s ageing Type 23 fleet. Eight ASW frigates will replace the T-23s and are expected to enter service between 2028 and 2035.