According to British defense officials, the sale of five Type 26 frigates to Norway is the largest warship export deal in UK history.
Norway has decided to purchase five “Type 26” frigates from the United Kingdom in order to expand its navy—marking the largest single defense investment in the Scandinavian country’s history.
The Royal Norwegian Navy and the British government announced the contract on Sunday, August 31. In total, the contract—inclduing the ships, ongoing maintenance support, and crew training—is worth €10 billion, or approximately $13.5 billion.
The Type 26 Frigates Will Give Norway Firepower in the Arctic
The Royal Norwegian Navy is set to become the fourth operator of the Type 26 frigate following a months-long decision process.
The Type 26 frigate Norway will receive is nearly 500 feet long, has a full displacement of 8,000 tons, and reaches speeds of over 26 knots (almost 30 miles per hour). The warship carries one Vertical Launching System (VLS) with 12 cells for Sea Ceptor anti-air missiles, and a second VLS with 24 cells for anti-surface or ground attack missiles. It is also armed with a Mk 45 5-inch gun and can accommodate up to two helicopters.
“Norway and the United Kingdom are close allies, with common interests and strong bilateral ties. I am confident that the decision to enter into a strategic partnership with the UK on purchasing, developing and operating frigates is the right one,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said in a statement.
In addition to the Type 26 frigate, the Royal Norwegian Navy considered the French FDI, the German F127, and the US Constellation. Oslo entered into talks with the four different parties but eventually decided to forge a strategic partnership with London.
“The choice of the UK as our strategic partner for the acquisition of new frigates is also in line with the Chief of Defence’s recommendation. This partnership represents a historic strengthening of the defence cooperation between our two countries,” the Norwegian leader added.
According to British defense officials, the sale of the Type 26 frigate to Norway is the largest warship export deal in UK history. The warships have not yet been built, and deliveries are expected to begin at the end of the decade.
The One Reason Norway Wants to Upgrade Its Fleet
With the addition of the five Type 26 frigates, the Norwegian Navy will become an important anti-submarine force in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The combined UK-Norwegian Type 26 frigate fleet will number 13 vessels, eight British and five Norwegian.
In addition to Norway, the Type 26 frigate is already operated by the Royal Australian Navy (Type 26 Hunter-class) and the Royal Canadian Navy (Type 26 River-class). There are 34 total warships of the type built or on order.
The version of the frigate the Norwegian Royal Navy bought will resemble the British City-class iteration. The version is specifically designed for anti-submarine warfare, including detecting, tracking, and destroying adversary submarines.
Though neither the British nor the Norwegian statements made any reference to the reason for Norway’s upgrades, the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has prompted wider military spending across the European continent. In addition to the decision to procure the Type 26 frigates, Oslo is buying dozens of F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets.
Moreover, Sweden and Finland, Norway’s neighbors and longstanding neutral states throughout the Cold War, joined NATO in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock / JacobHughes.
