The Type 26 frigate is the design upon which the River-class destroyer – being produced in Canada as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) – is based.
Canada’s NATO ally Norway has chosen the Type 26 frigate. The British ship beat out French, German, and American alternatives.
Norway’s pick is a rare bright spot for a struggling UK economy, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was quick to praise the move, saying it would “drive growth and protect national security for working people,” adding “This success is testament to the thousands of people across the country who are not just delivering this next generation capabilities for our Armed Forces but also national security for the UK, our Norwegian partners and Nato for years to come.”
The contract is valued at about $18.5 billion CAD, a substantial investment.
Good news for Canada
As a NATO nation with a keen interest in deterring Russia in the North, Canada has much in common with Norway. And now that Norway has chosen the Type 26, we will soon be operating the same ships. Canada’s new River-class destroyers (RCD) are Type 26 frigates built under license by Irving Shipbuilding. While the Type 26 base is considered a frigate, the Canadian RCDs have enhanced air defence capabilities and are being designated as destroyers.
Norway’s investment in Type 26 frigates is a vote of confidence in the design of the ships and the UK shipbuilding industry at an important moment. With economies throughout the free world stagnating, defence spending can provide an important stimulus to growth, employment, and research & development.
It is also good news for NATO interoperability. Canada, Norway, and the United Kingdom (and potential CANZUK partner Australia) will all be operating the same kind of ship and will be able to trade best practices and solve problems more rapidly through information sharing.
The benefit of allies
While Canada must build up our domestic defence sector, particularly in key areas like drones and ammunition production, we can also see the benefit of having a broad range of allies. By being part of NATO, Canada has access to the best military equipment from a wide range of innovative and democratic nations. In a dangerous world, having close friends and allies is an important source of protection that we must continue to cultivate and defend.
Spencer Fernando
Image source: By Ian Dick from Glasgow, UK – HMS Glasgow, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127295484
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