Warships for the Norwegian navy will be built in Glasgow following a £10 billion deal announced by the Ministry of Defence. The agreement represents what a Downing Street spokeswoman described as an "important and historic moment for European security".
Type 26 frigates will be constructed at the BAE Systems yard in Govan and will create a joint fleet of at least 13 anti-submarine ships from the UK and Norway. At least five of the vessels will be Norwegian, allowing the two nations to operate together in northern Europe as they address increased Russian activity in the region.
The Glasgow yard is currently building eight frigates for the Royal Navy. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) learned of the decision during a telephone call with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store on Saturday night.
Jobs and Economic Impact
The contract is expected to support 2,000 jobs at BAE Systems in the coming years and a further 2,000 positions in the supply chain into the latter part of the next decade. Officials said 103 Scottish businesses are hoped to benefit from the deal.
Starmer said: "This £10 billion deal is what our Plan for Change is about - creating jobs, driving growth and protecting national security for working people." He added: "This Government has forged new partnerships across the world to deliver for people at home and the export of our world leading Type 26 frigates to Norway will do exactly that, supporting well-paid jobs up and down the United Kingdom, from apprentices to engineers."
The Prime Minister emphasised the broader significance of the project. He 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."
Strategic Partnership
Defence Secretary John Healey said the deal "deepens our strategic partnership" with Norway. He said: "With Norway, we will train, operate, deter, and - if necessary - fight together."
Healey emphasised the naval cooperation's importance for regional security. He said: "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 decision demonstrates the "tremendous success" of Scotland's shipbuilding industry and represents another "defence dividend" for the country.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
