The Royal Navy is to obtain three new ships that will serve as motherships for uncrewed mine-hunting systems, the UK government announced. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Norwegian Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik confirmed Britain's commitment at the Atlantic Future Forum in Oslo.
What the deal covers
Britain will join Norway's P1118 Standardised Vessel Programme. Norway uses the term "standardised vessels" for the ships, which the Royal Navy will call Offshore Support Vessels. According to the government, the first of three arrives in 2031, and the UK holds an option on three further vessels. Delivery will run through the Maritime Capability Partnership Framework, a government-to-government arrangement between the two countries.
The government said the Defence Investment Plan announced an extra £90m for the purchase. In its account, the ships will make locating and disposing of sea mines safer, faster and more effective, keep sailors further from danger, and bolster anti-submarine warfare on NATO's northern flank. It called them a step in building the Hybrid Navy.
Tied to the Type 26 export
Officials linked the agreement to Norway's purchase of British-built Type 26 Global Combat Ships, which the government called the largest warship sale the UK has ever made by value. According to the government, that sale sustains 4,000 jobs in British supplier firms, with over 2,000 of those based at the Glasgow yards run by BAE Systems. Norway committed £10 billion to the Type 26 frigates in December 2025; taken together with the new deal, the government said, the two fleets will sail comparable vessels and find it easier to work side by side.
Security rationale
The government cited Iran's mining of the Strait of Hormuz, which it called illegal and said has caused major disruption to global energy trade, as a reason sea mines are now a sharper concern. It said the globally deployable vessels will help the UK safeguard freedom of navigation against fast-evolving mine threats.
Streeting said the deal strengthens the ability to protect freedom of navigation, which he described as critical to security and the economy. Sandvik said the purchase would deepen the strategic ties between the two countries that stem from the Lunna House agreement, and would help the navies operate together.
Other announcements in Oslo
Several further commitments were also showcased at the forum. According to the government, Arondite intends to put £35 million into a new base in the Norwegian capital and wider expansion across Europe during the next five years. Ocean Infinity won Atlantic Net, a £90 million contract issued jointly by the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence, which will use sensors alongside drone and autonomous technology to track underwater threats in the North Atlantic. Allied navies also met for talks at the International Sea Power Conference, which First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins had called together.
