Recommendation 20

Defence exports can strengthen the UK’s position in the High North when they help closely aligned allies field capabilities that are interoperable with the Royal Navy and are suited to northern operations. The Norway Type 26 agreement is a clear example: if delivered well, it could expand NATO’s ASW capacity on the northern flank and deepen UK-Norwegian operational and industrial integration. However, export success must not come at the expense of the Royal Navy’s own Type 26 frigate delivery timelines. The government must ensure that naval exports expand industrial capacity and allied capability, rather than competing with UK requirements for scarce ships, systems and skilled labour. (Conclusion, Paragraph 122)