British shipyards are set to build a new fleet of Dutch-designed amphibious warships after the UK and the Netherlands signed a £2.4 billion defence partnership during the NATO summit in Ankara. The agreement will see eight next-generation vessels constructed in the UK, with four allocated to the Royal Navy and four to the Royal Netherlands Navy.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten announced the partnership on Tuesday, saying the programme would strengthen cooperation between the two countries while supporting hundreds of skilled jobs in Britain's shipbuilding industry. The ships will be based on an existing Dutch amphibious ship design, while construction and assembly will take place in British shipyards.
