Norway Buys British Type 26 Anti-Submarine Frigates

The UK and Norway have signed a £10 billion defense deal to supply the latest Type 26 frigates.

The deal was announced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said it would create thousands of jobs and new training programs in the UK shipbuilding industry.

Norway has been considering the purchase since early 2024. The main arguments in favor of the Type 26 were its advanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities and its platform potential.

Among European fleets, the Type 26 remains the only highly specialized anti-submarine frigate, giving it strategic value amid growing Russian submarine activity in the North Sea.

The key challenge remains the delivery schedule. The Royal Navy expects its first ship in 2028, while Norway plans to receive its first frigate in 2029.

It is not yet clear whether the sides reconciled the delivery timeline before signing the contract. Details on the agreement and the schedule for Norway’s ships have not been disclosed.

Oslo is considering buying at least five frigates. Their entry into service would be an important reinforcement of NATO’s anti-submarine defense system in the North Sea, where allies are paying increasing attention to Russian submarine forces.

Type 26

The Type 26 frigates are designed as new-generation multirole warships, with anti-submarine warfare and high-intensity air defense as their primary missions.

They are to gradually replace the Royal Navy’s aging Type 23-class frigates, which have already reached the end of their service life.
The ships will have a displacement of about 8,000 tons, a length of 149 meters and a beam of 20.8 meters.

Their maximum speed will be 26 knots, and the crew will number about 118, reflecting a high level of onboard automation.

The Type 26’s armament will include a 127-mm Mk 45 gun, two 30-mm DS 30M Mk2 automated mounts, two M134 Miniguns and two Mk 15 Phalanx close-in weapon systems.

Its strike capability will be based on 48 launch cells capable of carrying FOSW anti-ship missiles or Tomahawk cruise missiles. For air defense, another 48 vertical launchers with Sea Ceptor surface-to-air missiles (CAMM) are planned.