Norway has selected the British Type 26 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigate after the country down selected the design in December last year.
Tyep 26 will go on to replace the Royal Norwegian Navy’s (RNN) legacy Fridtjof Nansen-class fleet; the first of these four ships were acquired nearly two decades ago.
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The Nordic nation announced its decision on 31 August 2025 as part of a new “long-term, strategic partnership” with Britain, which the government claim will open up an opportunity for extensive industrial cooperation.
“We have identified a wide range of industrial and technological areas of cooperation where Norwegian industry can compete for contracts,” revealed Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre.
At the same time, Norway’s decision has also sidelined several other Nato allies – France, Germany, and the United States – all of whom submitted their own sovereign frigates for consideration: the FDI frigate, F126, and the Constellation-class respectively.
The Norwegian Storting – or parliament – has been consulted, and the Type 26 warships are expected to arrive from 2030.
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By GlobalDataRussian sabotage
The choice was made in the backdrop of Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea. Earlier this week, the Telegraph reported that Norway, the UK, and US – undergoing a naval exercise off the coast of Norway – hunted the stalking underwater platform for two days.
“We have strong shared interests in the North Atlantic,” identified Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik. “Our Armed Forces maintains a close cooperation, and with a joint frigate program, we will be able to operate seamlessly and integrated in our joint areas of interest.”
Russian sabotage operations are estimated to have caused hundreds of millions of euros in physical damage (to submarine cables, pipelines, transport infrastructure, etc.), and to some extent psychological harm by fostering societal anxiety, weakening public trust and exacerbating political division.
Doubtless, the incident came as a stark reminder of the need to deter Russia below the surface.
Details of the frigate deal
Type 26 frigates are warships specifically designed to detect, track down, and combat submarines. In its release, the Norwegian government confirmed both the British and Norwegian vessels will be as identical as possible, and have the same technical specifications.
“Having identical vessels will enable us to operate even more efficiently together on challenging missions,” Sandvik asserted. “It will also reduce costs and make joint maintenance easier. Additionally, it opens up the possibility for us to perform joint training of personnel.”
He even left open the possibility that British and Norwegian crews would be interchangeable.
Norway’s frigates will be equipped with anti-submarine capable helicopters; the decision on what type has not yet been made. The Royal Navy, meanwhile, say that Type 26 is able to embark either Wildcat or Merlin helicopters with the latter being upgraded to a more compact variant.
Neither government have stated how many warships will be purchased. But the RNN had operated five Nansen frigates, until it lost one in a collision with a tanker in 2018, leaving the service with four vessels. However, Norway’s Fleet Plan specifies the eventual procurement of at least five blue water, ASW frigates.
The Norwegian and British governments will soon finalise a binding agreement which sets the framework for the strategic partnership. Once the agreement is signed, the two parties will enter into contract negotiations with the main British supplier, BAE Systems.
