UK shipyards to build new amphibious ships in huge deal

British shipyards will build a new fleet of amphibious transport ships under a £2.4 billion partnership with the Netherlands, with each nation to operate four of the vessels, the government has announced.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten signed the agreement on 7 July during the meeting of NATO leaders in Ankara, in a deal Downing Street said sets the path to building next-generation amphibious ships for both nations’ forces while supporting hundreds of high-skilled UK jobs. Based on a Dutch design, the ships will be built in UK shipyards alongside Dutch industry, and at 160 metres long and 15,000 tonnes they will transport troops, vehicles and equipment including drones, with flight decks designed to operate current and future long-range drones and autonomous systems in support of the Royal Navy’s transition to a hybrid fleet.

“This partnership is not just about building ships, it is also about delivering long term security for both the UK and The Netherlands, ensuring we are able to stay ahead of the threats of tomorrow,” the Prime Minister said. “Combining the UK’s industrial expertise with The Netherlands’ design and sea-faring experience to deliver first-rate platforms for our elite amphibious forces, this partnership will strengthen NATO. I am incredibly proud that British shipyards will help deliver these ships, creating and sustaining good jobs here at home in the UK.”

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said: “We are building an even stronger amphibious force with the Netherlands, strengthening our defence and deterrence as close NATO allies and JEF partners. Our forces will operate the same equipment and deploy on exercises together, so if they need to, we can fight and win together. In close partnership, we are responding to the threats we face to make our nations and Europe safer.”

The agreement gives shape to the commitment in the Defence Investment Plan, which dropped the Royal Navy’s planned Multi-Role Strike Ship in favour of joining the Netherlands-led Amphibious Transport Ship programme, and follows Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard telling the Commons on Monday that the ambition is for the first ship to enter service in the 2030s. The new vessels will form the backbone of a strengthened UK-Netherlands amphibious force, building on more than 50 years of cooperation through what the government describes as Europe’s longest-running integrated military force, with the two navies to train, deploy and operate together increasingly and common ships central to that integration alongside the drone and uncrewed technology the two nations will develop together. The partners will also work to protect critical undersea infrastructure and deter threats in the North Atlantic and High North.

For the Royal Navy, the ships restore a dedicated amphibious fleet for the first time since HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark were retired in late 2024 and subsequently sold to Brazil, and four hulls would exceed the two assault ships the service previously operated, though the announcement does not name the shipyards involved, the build schedule or the in-service dates beyond the ambition already stated.

The government said the deal builds on the recent agreement with Norway to deliver five Type 26 frigates built in UK yards to the Norwegian Navy, supporting 4,000 British jobs, and comes as billions are invested in the hybrid navy through the Defence Investment Plan, combining warships with autonomous surface and undersea drones.