A deal to supply Norway with new warships will support 4,000 jobs in the UK, the government has said.
The Ministry of Defence has agreed a deal to provide at least five new Type 26 frigates to the Norwegian Navy. More than 2,000 jobs will be at BAE Systems in Glasgow, where the frigates will be built in shipyards on the Clyde.
The deal will also support more than 400 UK partner businesses, including 103 in Scotland, according to the MoD.
Scottish secretary Ian Murray said the choice to build the frigates in the UK “demonstrates the tremendous success of our shipbuilding industry and showcases the world-class skills and expertise of our workforce on the Clyde”.
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The yard in Glasgow is already building eight Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy to replace its ageing Type 23 frigates.
BAE Systems has spent £300 million on modernising its site in Glasgow, creating a giant shipbuilding hall that has capacity for two frigates to be built at the same time.
Prime minister Keir Starmer said the deal would “support well-paid jobs up and down the United Kingdom, from apprentices to engineers”.
“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.
The Norwegian government faced a “difficult choice”, faced with four potential partners in France, Germany, the US and the UK, according to its prime minister Jonas Støre.
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Defence secretary John Healey said: “This deal confirms Britain’s defence industry as world-leading. It will support thousands of high-skilled jobs for the next 15 years and beyond, driving forward this government’s Plan for Change and making defence an engine for growth.”
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