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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has expressed hopes that a £10 billion deal to build Norwegian warships in Glasgow will be the first of many such contracts.
Speaking to BAE Systems workers in Govan on Thursday, he signalled that other countries could follow Norway's lead in placing orders for frigates in the UK.
The Ministry of Defence announced the landmark deal last weekend, marking the biggest contract of its kind for both the UK and Norway.
The agreement will see Type 26 frigates constructed at the BAE Systems shipyard in Govan, creating a combined fleet of at least 13 anti-submarine ships from the UK and Norway.
At least five of these vessels will be Norwegian, and the joint fleet will operate in northern Europe to address increased Russian activity.
The UK successfully secured the contract despite competition from France, Germany and the United States.
During his shipyard visit, Starmer credited the workers' reputation for winning the Norwegian contract.
"We won that because of you," he said. "So there's no point thanking me because I could not have landed this order if Norway didn't have confidence in what you're doing."
“What I mean by confidence in what you’re doing is the quality of what you do here but also the speed at which you could turn this around.
“That means the 15 years’ worth of shipbuilding here has been secured by you on your reputation, and I really want you to take that in.”
The Prime Minister said other countries will now be looking at the UK for defence deals.
"Every country across Europe has increased their defence spending and they're looking for countries to collaborate with on the defence building that they need to do," he said.
“So Norway is first up. We’re talking to the Danish, we’re talking to Sweden, we’re talking to Turkey and other countries.
“So I hope this is only the first in what will be a series of contracts."
“That is down to you. It’s down to Scotland and Glasgow and what you and those before you’ve been doing for generations. I’m really pleased with this.”
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
