UK to enhance naval presence in Scandinavia and the Mediterranean through warship talks with NATO allies.

According to an announcement reported on 7 September 2025 by Türkiye Today, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that the United Kingdom is in advanced talks with Türkiye, Denmark, and Sweden for new defense shipbuilding contracts. The statement follows the historic £10 billion agreement signed with Norway last week for at least five Type 26 frigates, a deal that represents the UK’s largest-ever warship export and Norway’s most significant naval procurement. Speaking during a visit to BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard in Glasgow, where the Norwegian frigates will be built, Starmer emphasized that the contract with Oslo is “only the first step” in a broader strategy to deepen naval partnerships across Europe and strengthen NATO’s northern flank.
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The Type 31 frigate, based on the Arrowhead 140 design, is a 5,700-tonne multi-role warship equipped with advanced sensors, a 57 mm naval gun, Sea Ceptor air defence missiles, and modular mission bays, designed for patrol, escort, and multinational NATO operations (Picture source: Royal Navy).

The Type 26 Global Combat Ship, which forms the basis of the Norway deal, is an advanced anti-submarine warfare platform designed to detect, track, and neutralize hostile submarines. With a displacement of 8,000 tonnes, the frigate features quiet propulsion, a sophisticated sonar suite combining hull-mounted and towed-array systems, vertical launch missile cells, a 127 mm naval gun, and the capacity to deploy helicopters and unmanned systems. Deliveries to Norway are scheduled from 2030, with the programme securing approximately 4,000 jobs in the UK, over half of which are concentrated in Scotland. Norway selected the British bid over proposals from France, Germany, and the United States, citing the strategic value of operating a combined fleet of 13 Type 26 frigates alongside the Royal Navy to secure the Arctic and North Atlantic against Russian submarine activity.

Building on this momentum, the UK government has opened discussions with other Scandinavian partners. Denmark is in line to acquire three Type 31 frigates based on Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 design, with the deal expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Stockholm, now a NATO member, is also evaluating the Type 31 but is considering rival French offers. Talks with Sweden are described as “very positive,” though more complex due to the range of options on the table, including potential co-production. Babcock is additionally exploring collaboration with Saab to build Luleå-class corvettes at Rosyth, reflecting Sweden’s interest in bolstering its naval fleet in line with NATO commitments.

Türkiye has also entered discussions with the UK regarding potential cooperation in shipbuilding. Ankara has pursued an ambitious indigenous naval programme through its MILGEM-class corvettes and frigates, with the recently launched TCG Icel representing the eighth ship of the series. At the same time, Türkiye has demonstrated interest in expanding its naval cooperation with NATO allies, having tested new air defense missiles from TCG Istanbul and prepared its drone-capable carrier TCG Anadolu for integration of Bayraktar TB3 unmanned systems. For London, partnering with Türkiye would offer both strategic depth in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions and new industrial opportunities to complement the existing Scandinavian focus.

The combination of Type 26 and Type 31 frigates positions the UK as a leading supplier of NATO-standard warships in northern and European waters. While the Type 26 is optimized for anti-submarine warfare and high-intensity operations, the more affordable Type 31 offers flexibility for patrols, escort duties, and multinational task group deployments. Together, they provide NATO allies with interoperable platforms capable of responding to maritime challenges ranging from Russian submarine activity in the Arctic to hybrid threats against undersea infrastructure.

The geopolitical context underscores the urgency of these negotiations. Russia’s growing submarine presence in the Arctic, combined with U.S. calls for European allies to assume greater responsibility for regional defense, has prompted northern European nations to increase their defense spending. For the UK, Starmer’s Labour government has made revitalizing the defense industrial base a central pillar of its security and economic strategy, pledging to raise defense expenditure to 3.5% of GDP by 2035. The contracts under discussion not only enhance NATO’s collective maritime power but also secure long-term industrial workloads at British shipyards in Glasgow and Rosyth, reinforcing the UK’s role as a hub of naval shipbuilding in Europe.

In summary, the UK’s naval export strategy is shifting from a single major contract with Norway to a broader framework of regional partnerships involving Denmark, Sweden, and Türkiye. By leveraging advanced designs such as the Type 26 and Type 31 frigates, London seeks to deepen defense ties across Scandinavia and the Mediterranean while strengthening NATO’s maritime posture. The Norway deal sets a precedent, but the negotiations now underway may further consolidate Britain’s position as Europe’s leading naval shipbuilder and a key architect of allied maritime security.