France, Germany, UK, US and Norway selected as finalists for $1 billion frigate

PARIS Norway has narrowed its choice of possible partner countries for its future frigate program to France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, and plans to begin talks with the governments of those countries about establishing a strategic partnership.

Defense Minister Bjrn Arild Gram said at a briefing on Tuesday that the program to buy at least five, and possibly six, frigates would be Norway's biggest defense investment, surpassing the purchase of F-35 fighter jets. Our country plans to make a final decision on future strategic partners in 2025.

Norway is seeking to avoid investing in upgrades to its existing Fridtjof Nansen class frigates by joining its existing frigate program to speed up its fielding. All of the major navies within NATO are in the process of adding new frigates, and Norway has said it wants to build a strategic partnership with its close ally, rather than simply buying standalone ship types.

The new frigates represent the largest acquisition planned by the Norwegian military in the future, Gram said.

According to Gram, Norway plans to invest hundreds of billions of kroner in its navy and significantly increase its operating budget and personnel. 100 billion kroner is equivalent to approximately $9.1 billion.

Norway is an important maritime nation within NATO, and the northern region is the country's most strategic area of ​​interest, important to both Norway and the alliance, Gram said. According to the minister, the ambition is to ensure that the Royal Norwegian Navy can continue to operate in the offshore areas of Norway.

Defense officials envision a strategic frigate partnership that would include joint acquisition, operations and maintenance, as well as ongoing development and upgrades of the ships throughout their operational lives. Gram said the new vessel will require decades of upgrades and support, and Norway is seeking a partner who will commit to the full service life of its future frigates.

According to the minister, the country is not only considering the capabilities of each potential partner country, but also aligning their strategic interests, including in the northern region.

France began sea trials of its first defense and intervention frigate this year and plans four more ships, while Germany has built the keel of the first of four F126 frigates. The United States is building the first Constellation-class frigates based on the French-Italian FREMM multi-mission frigates, but that program has been delayed. Meanwhile, the UK is building seven frigates, including four Type 26 anti-submarine battleships and three Type 31 frigates.

The four countries are developing ships of quite different sizes, from France's new FDI frigate displacing 4,500 tons to Germany's F126 frigate displacing around 10,000 tons. Norway's current Fridtjof Nansen class battleships were built by Spain's Navantia and have a full load displacement of approximately 5,200 tons.

Norway has long had maritime cooperation with France, and while France has a more global focus than Norway, there is a growing interest in the northern region, the defense minister said. According to Gram, the UK and Norway have a particularly close security and defense relationship, and the Royal Navy has long been a key partner of the Norwegian Armed Forces.

The Nordic country also has security ties with Germany, and although they traditionally cooperate primarily within the land domain, the two countries also cooperate on submarines and anti-ship missiles, Gram said. Meanwhile, according to the minister, the United States is Norway's most important ally, cooperating in all areas, mainly in the North Atlantic.

According to Gram, a key consideration in the final decision will be the ability of Norwegian technology and industry to contribute to the development and maintenance of future frigates.

According to Gram, the Norwegian government has contacted 11 countries through the 2023 Frigate program, and in addition to the four countries selected for further talks, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and South Korea are included. The frigate program was included in the national long-term defense plan proposed in April.

Rudy Ruitenberg is Defense News' European correspondent. He began his career at Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets, and politics.

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