MILAN — The Norwegian Navy will be equipped with British-made warships designed for anti-submarine warfare as part of the country’s largest defense capability investment to date, the Norwegian government said.

The Nordic country has selected the United Kingdom as a strategic partner for the procurement of new Type-26 frigates, primarily manufactured by BAE Systems. The deal, worth $13.5 billion, will entail the supply of at least five warships, which will be built at BAE’s Glasgow shipyards.

The deal represents a significant win for the British defense industry, as the bidding process has been ongoing for nine months, during which Norwegian authorities also considered French, German, and U.S. options.

“It has been a difficult choice, the four candidates have provided strong and competitive proposals – they are all close allies … the extensive cooperation on security and defense policy will continue at full strength with all of them,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said.

With initial deliveries slotted to begin in 2030, Oslo intends to operate the frigates for the coming decades and has planned to equip them with anti-submarine-capable helicopters, although no decision has been made regarding the type.

A notable element of the draft agreement is that the Norwegian and the British Navy’s own vessels will be “as identical as possible” and have been requested to have matching specifications. According to Norway’s defense minister Tore O. Sandvik, the decision stemmed from a desire to increase interoperability to a maximum, drive down costs and ease joint maintenance.

The official even went on to say that it could create the opportunity to use Norwegian and British crews interchangeably and joint training of personnel, as part of the larger framework of the countries’ strategic partnership.

Some of the primary weapons and sensors for the U.K. Type 26 include a medium-caliber gun, Sea Ceptor anti-air missiles produced by MBDA, and BAE’s medium-range Artisan 3D radar capable of detecting small and fast targets, per the company’s website.

There are currently eight Type-26 warships being produced by BAE destined for the Royal Navy to replace its older Type 23 frigates. Similar variants have also been ordered by Australia and Canada.

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.