UK’s record Type 26 frigate export deal to keep Scottish shipyards busy until ‘at least 2040’

February 6, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

The historic UK-Norway defense pact centered on the advanced Type 26 frigate is set to keep Scottish shipyards busy until ‘at least 2040’.

Under the landmark Lunna House Agreement, the UK and Norway will operate an interchangeable fleet of Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates, eight for the Royal Navy and at least five for the Royal Norwegian Navy, in what officials describe as a first-of-its-kind naval cooperation in the North Atlantic. The pact responds to a significant uptick in Russian naval activity, reinforcing NATO’s northern flank and collective deterrence.

The core aim of the agreement, signed in December 2025, is interoperability. British and Norwegian crews will train together, share maintenance practices, and operate virtually identical frigates equipped with modern sensors and systems.

To remind, earlier on, in September 2025, the Norwegian Government selected the UK as a strategic partner for the acquisition of new vessels based on the Royal Navy’s Type 26 frigates, which will be ‘the largest’ Norwegian defense capability investment to date. The £10 billion deal is a boost expected to support 103 Scottish businesses, including 54 small and medium enterprises.

Norway opts for UK’s Type 26 frigates in ‘historic’ £10 billion defense deal

Vessels

The significance of the Type 26 program has been formally underlined in a House of Commons Defence Committee special report, which includes the government’s response to an earlier parliamentary review of naval procurement and industrial capacity.

In its response, the government described the Type 26 as “the most advanced ship of its type,” stating that it will spearhead the Royal Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capability while enhancing UK and NATO security and deterrence in the High North “for the next generation.”

The report also highlights the program’s industrial impact, noting that “the agreement represents the largest UK warship export deal by value, supporting shipbuilding activity on the Clyde until at least 2040 and sustaining more than 1,700 Scottish jobs“.

Driving a broader defense export surge, the Type 26 deal helped the UK record more than £20 billion in defense exports in 2025, the highest annual total on record, alongside other major agreements such as fighter jet sales. This export momentum is seen as a strategic win for the UK’s defense industry and national security.