In a significant development, Britain has secured a £10 billion defence contract with Norway to sell UK-built warships, aiming to counter the increasing threat from Russian submarines.

The deal, announced by the Norwegian government, involves acquiring at least five new Type 26 frigates, marking the most substantial export of British naval hardware to date.

These ships, acclaimed as the top anti-submarine vessels worldwide, are expected to play a crucial role in detecting and monitoring the covert submersible fleet of Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Construction of the frigates will occur at the BAE Systems facility in Govan, Scotland. This move is set to form a united fleet of about 13 specialized submarine trackers from the UK and Norway, with at least five contributed by Norway, collectively guarding northern Europe against Russian incursions.

The UK managed to outpace competitors such as Germany, France, and the USA for this agreement. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was informed of the decision during a conversation with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Saturday night.

According to a Downing Street representative, the export agreement signifies a ‘critical and historic milestone for European security.’ Insiders suggest it might pave the way for additional export deals with other EU and Nato partners.

The contract is expected to support 2,000 jobs at British defence giant BAE in the coming years and a further 2,000 in the supply chain into the latter part of the next decade.

Sir Keir said: ‘This £10billion 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.

‘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.’

The Royal Navy has already ordered eight of the ships, which will form the backbone of Senior Service for decades to come. Five cheaper, general-purpose Type 31 frigates are also on order. All the vessels will replace the ageing Type 23 frigates.

Military chiefs hope the new deal will forge a closer bond between Norway and the UK, with Norwegian frigates being ‘interchangeable’ with their British counterparts. 

As well as bolstering UK trade, the partnership also aims to strengthen Nato’s defence of the vital north Atlantic, protecting it from Russian submarines.

It will see British and Norwegian ships working in tangent to secure the seas, as well as training together more often. 

The two nations already share a close relationship – British Royal Marines carry out Arctic warfare training in Norway every year, while UK ships are being fitted with Norwegian-built naval strike missiles.

The two countries also operate together, with one Norwegian frigate currently protecting the UK Carrier Strike Group on its mission to the Indo-Pacific. 

However, sources say the new deal is a ‘step-change’ in the two states’ long-standing alliance, with Defence Secretary John Healey insisting it ‘deepens our strategic partnership’ with Norway.

‘With Norway, we will train, operate, deter, and – if necessary – fight together,’ he added.

‘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.’

In a statement, the Norwegian prime minister added: ‘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.’

Britain’s first Type 26, HMS Glasgow, is to begin sea trials next year before entering service with the Royal Navy in 2028. The remaining vessels will join the fleet during the 2030s. 

Meanwhile, delivery of the first Norwegian Type 26 is scheduled to take place in 2030. 

Daily Mail understands construction of the vessel will run alongside the build of the Royal Navy’s own fleet, and that none of the ships currently in build for the UK will be transferred to the Norwegians to meet the deadline. 

However, with the exact timeframe of when all the new Norwegian warships will be delivered still to be finalised, sceptics are concerned about the potential of fresh delays to blighting the UK programme. 

The multi-billion pound project has already faced turbulent waters, with construction plagued by years of delays and setbacks. 

Defence officials have insisted the delivery of the Royal Navy’s eight anti-submarine warfare frigates remained unchanged.

Tomorrow will see the first round of major negotiation talks taking place between the UK and Norway, focusing on how training can be provided for the Norwegian navy. 

Meanwhile, it’s understood the partnership will also cover shared maintenances of the UK-Norwegian frigate fleet, with work taking place in both countries.  

The landmark trade deal is the latest for the new class of warship; both Australia and Canada have also selected the design for Type 26 for their navies.

Daily Mail understands secretive conversations between the UK and other nations keen on exporting the British-built warships are currently taking place.

If successful, it could see future orders for the UK vessels being placed. 

The Type 26 features sophisticated weapons, advanced sensors, and cutting-edge communications, with a flexible design that enables future upgrades to counter emerging threats.