UK Supply Norway With Anti-Submarine Frigates Worth USD 13.5 Bln

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) LONDON, Aug 31 (KUNA) -- The UK, in its biggest ever warship export deal by value, will supply Norway with Type 26 frigates designed for anti-submarine warfare in the deal worth آ£10 billion (USD 13.5 billion), Ministry of Defense announced Sunday.
Norwayآ's selection of the UKآ's world leading Type 26 frigates builds on decades of close cooperation between close NATO allies and strengthens both nationsآ' strategic partnership and maritime security in the face of increasing Russian threats in northern Europe, it said in a release.
Both Australia and Canada have also selected the design for Type 26 for their Navies, it said, adding that the Type 26 features sophisticated weapons, advanced sensors, and cutting-edge communications, with a flexible design that enables future upgrades to counter emerging threats.
Commenting on the deal, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "This آ£10 billion deal is what our Plan for Change is about - creating jobs, driving growth and protecting national security for working people."
"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," 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," he added.
For his part, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Store said: "Norway and the United Kingdom are close allies, with common interests and strong bilateral ties. I am confident that the strategic partnership with the UK for purchasing, developing and operating frigates is the right decision."
He added that this partnership enables Norway to reach the strategic objectives its Parliament set out in the current Long-Term Plan on Defence.
UK Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: For over 75 years, Britain and Norway have stood together on NATOآ's northern and north-eastern frontiers, keeping the UK and Europe safe, adding that this historic defence deal deepens bilateral strategic partnership.
"With Norway, we will train, operate, deter, and - if necessary - fight together. 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." (end)
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