Clyde shipyards to start Norway frigates before Navy order finished

Shipyards in Glasgow will start building some Type-26 frigates for Norway before completing construction of an eight-ship order of the same warships for the Royal Navy. Five of the advanced anti-submarine ships are at various stages of construction at BAE Systems yards on the River Clyde, with work yet to begin on a further three. Last summer it was announced that Norway had placed a £10bn order for at least five Type 26 frigates, described as the biggest warship export deal in UK history. Defence Minister Luke Pollard said that some build slots "have been ceded as part of the Norwegian deal" but he said the Royal Navy would still receive its full complement of eight ships. In a written answer in the House of Commons he said additional orders would be placed to make up the total to eight, as part of the Defence Investment Plan. Pollard previously said that building Norwegian ships before finishing the UK order would not affect the UK's defence capability, according to UK Defence Journal which first reported the story. A week ago he told MPs the Royal Navy and Norwegian ships would operate as a "truly interoperable, interchangeable force". He said: "The only difference between a Roy