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Professor John Robertson OBA

In NAVY LOOKOUT yesterday:

Norway has formally announced it will purchase at least 5 Type 26 frigates to be built in the UK. Here we look at the implications of this news. From an economic perspective, this is a huge success for the UK and will be by far the biggest British warship export project since the Second World War. BAE Systems is not the only winner, but an industrial supply chain that includes around 400 companies and extends across the country. Valued at approximately £10Bn, this is the largest warship export by value ever achieved by the UK. This price tag suggests that the deal will include, not just initial construction, but some British-supplied through-life support for the ships. It is believed a new covered docking facility will be built in Harstad in northern Norway to maintain the ships in partnership with BAES.

With more than 30 ships in the class (8 for the RN, 6 for Australia, up to 15 for Canada and at least 5 for Norway), Type 26 has become the most successful British frigate design since the Leander class. With another nation joining the programme, it will also drive further economies of scale for the 4 nations and could also attract further export interest.

All of the Norwegian ships will be built on the Clyde and, unlike the Canadian and Australian variants, which only have around 70% commonality, they will not be modified significantly from the Type 26 parent design.

https://www.navylookout.com/royal-navy-type-26-frigate-secures-record-export-success-with-norway/

Readers will remember how in 2013/2014 then-Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, warned that Royal Navy contracts would not go to a foreign country, implying that an independent Scotland could lose shipbuilding work for the UK.

This contract, and others with Canada and Australia, is not subject to UK Government approval. The Type 26 frigate design is owned by BAE Systems and they have invested heavily in infrastructure and staffing on the Clyde.

BAE Systems is a multinational corporation, not a state-owned entity. Its decisions are driven by commercial interests, contracts, and shareholder value, not solely UK Government directives. If BAE Systems had contracts to build frigates for other countries at its Clyde yards, it could continue to do so, provided the Scottish Government permitted it and the contracts were not contingent on UK approval.

With only a small fraction of the company’s Type 26 contracts being with the UK, there is little to no chance the UK could tell this massive international entity not to continue building on the Clyde.

This is only the beginning. In the wake (sic) of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, most European nations with a navy are expected to re-equip with state-of-the-art anti-submarine frigates to meet that new threat.