The UK and the Netherlands have signed a £2.4 billion agreement to jointly deliver eight Dutch-designed amphibious transport ships. The deal was signed on 7 July during the NATO summit in Ankara.
Four vessels will be allocated to the Royal Navy and four to the Royal Netherlands Navy. The ships will be constructed at UK shipyards in cooperation with Dutch industry.
The British government said the program is expected to support hundreds of highly skilled jobs in the UK.
Each ship will be 160 m long, with a stated tonnage of 15,000 tonnes. The vessels will transport troops, vehicles and equipment, including drones, to locations where they are required.
Their flight decks will be designed to operate existing and future long-range drones and autonomous systems. The capability will support the Royal Navy’s transition to a hybrid Navy.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced the partnership on Tuesday. The agreement is intended to increase joint training, deployments and operations between the Royal Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy.
The two governments said closer naval cooperation would improve NATO’s ability to respond rapidly to crises.
The program will also expand industrial and military cooperation in autonomous and uncrewed technologies. According to the British government, companies in both countries will participate in this area of the partnership.
The agreement follows a recent UK-Norway deal covering five Type 26 vessels for the Norwegian Navy. Those ships will also be constructed in UK shipyards, with the program supporting 4,000 British jobs.
The amphibious ship agreement also comes as the UK invests in its hybrid Navy through the Defense Investment Plan.
Starmer said the partnership would combine UK industrial expertise with Dutch ship design and maritime experience. He also said construction in British shipyards would create and sustain employment in the UK.
