The UK will supply Norway with at least five new warships under a new £10bn deal. The agreement will be Britain's "biggest ever warship export deal by value," according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). For Norway, this should be the largest investment in its defence capability to date. The deal is supposed to support 400 British businesses, with 103 in Scotland, and support 4,000 UK jobs into the 2030s. The frigates will be built at BAE Systems's Glasgow shipyards, supporting more than 2,000 jobs.

The announcement comes amid rising security tensions in northern Europe, as Norway borders Russia and oversees key North Atlantic waters used by Moscow's nuclear submarines. Analysts say the scale of the investment underscores both Norway's strategic position and NATO's push for higher defense spending after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Prime Minister Sir Keir 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." He added that the agreement would "drive growth and protect national security for working people".

France, Germany and the United States were also considered as possible vendors, so the agreement comes as a victory for the British government and the defence industry. A joint UK–Norwegian fleet of 13 anti-submarine frigates - eight from Britain and five from Norway - will be created to operate together in northern Europe, providing a major boost to NATO's northern flank. The vessels will be built at BAE Systems' shipyard in Glasgow's Govan district, the same facility currently producing frigates for the Royal Navy.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said: "For over 75 years, Britain and Norway have stood together on NATO's northern and north-eastern frontiers, keeping the UK and Europe safe. This historic defence deal deepens our strategic partnership.

"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."

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the choice of the UK "demonstrates the tremendous success of our shipbuilding industry and showcases the world-class skills and expertise of our workforce on the Clyde".

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre informed Starmer about the decision to select the UK in a phone call on Saturday night. He said the partnership "represents a historic strengthening of the defence cooperation between our two countries". Støre said the decision was weighted against the following two questions: "Who is our most strategic partner? And who has delivered the best frigates?

"The answer to both is the United Kingdom," he said.

The Royal Norwegian Navy's Type 26 frigates will closely match those of the Royal Navy, sharing the same technical specifications. Purpose-built to detect, track, and, if required, engage enemy submarines, the first of these ships is scheduled for delivery starting in 2030.