The UK has decided to buy three new ships, which will act as motherships for uncrewed mine-hunting systems to boost UK security by making the detection and disposal of sea mines safer, quicker and more effective.
The Royal Navy will receive the first of three offshore support vessels in 2031, known as “standardised vessels” in Norway, with an option to buy an additional three vessels. An additional £90m investment was announced in the Defence Investment Plan for the acquisition.
Defense Secretary Wes Streeting and his Norwegian counterpart, Tore O. Sandvik, confirmed the UK’s commitment to the programme at the Atlantic Future Forum in Oslo.
The agreement will see the UK join Norway’s major naval program, the P1118 Standardised Vessel Programme. The vessels are a key step in building the Hybrid Navy and a major step in the UK’s defense partnership with Norway. They will be central to the Royal Navy’s modernisation of its mine-hunting capability, it was highlighted.
"This deal strengthens our ability to protect freedom of navigation, which is critical to our security and our economy. By using the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War to put the latest modern technology in the hands of our Sailors, we are helping to keep them safe and ensuring they have the tools to protect our shores," Streeting said.
"The United Kingdom’s procurement of Norwegian Standardised Vessels will further strengthen our strategic partnership, rooted in the Lunna House agreement. Operating similar platforms will enhance our navy-to-navy cooperation and further improve our ability to operate seamlessly together, protecting and safeguarding NATO’s northern flank," Sandvik commented.
The offshore support vessels will be delivered through the government-to-government Maritime Capability Partnership Framework (MCPF) between the UK and Norway.
Alongside Norway’s £10 billion procurement of Type 26 frigates in December 2025, the new agreement means the two navies will operate similar ships, strengthening interoperability between two close NATO allies.