Full Breakdown
UK-Netherlands Partnership to Build Eight Amphibious Transport Ships
7/10/2026, 9:27:30 PM
Programme Overview
The United Kingdom and the Netherlands have agreed to construct a joint fleet of eight amphibious transport ships (LPDs) in British shipyards. The £2.4 billion programme, signed by Prime Ministers Keir Starmer and Rob Jetten at the NATO summit in Ankara on 7 July 2024, allocates four vessels to the Royal Navy and four to the Royal Netherlands Navy. Each ship will be about 160 metres long, displace roughly 15 000 tonnes, and feature flight decks capable of operating current and future long-range drones.
Background & Context
The initiative replaces the Royal Navy’s earlier Multi-Role Strike Ship (MRSS) concept, which was deemed too complex and misaligned with the UK Commando Force. After the retirement and subsequent sale of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark in late 2024, the UK lacked a dedicated amphibious assault platform. The new Anglo-Dutch design revives capability under the Dutch-led Amphibious Transport Ship programme, originally pursued in Project Catherina (2023) and set aside in 2024 before being reinstated.
Key Figures & Groups
- Luke Pollard – Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry (UK)
- Keir Starmer – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- Rob Jetten – Prime Minister of the Netherlands
- Dan Jarvis – UK Defence Secretary
- Donato Martinez – Chief Executive, Navantia UK (owner of Harland & Wolff yards)
- Navantia UK – British arm of the Spanish state-owned shipbuilder, positioning its Belfast yard for the work.
Timeline
- 7 July 2024 – Bilateral agreement signed at NATO summit in Ankara.
- 8 July 2024 – Defence Minister Luke Pollard confirms all eight ships will be built in the UK during a Treasury and Defence Committee session.
- 2025 onward – Procurement process to determine yard allocation; block-build approach anticipated across multiple sites.
- Early 2030s – First hull expected to enter service, with the remaining vessels following throughout the decade.
Data & Statistics
- Total programme cost: £2.4 billion.
- Ship dimensions: ? 160 m length, ? 15 000 t displacement.
- Planned crew and payload: capacity for troops, vehicles, equipment and drones; flight decks for long-range uncrewed systems.
- Employment impact: hundreds of skilled UK jobs anticipated.
- Related contracts: the programme runs alongside the construction of five Type 26 frigates for Norway, extending Clyde-yard production by fifteen years.
Why It Matters
Building the vessels in Britain provides a second export programme for UK yards, reinforcing sovereign shipbuilding capability after a period of reduced naval construction. The ships will restore a dedicated amphibious platform for the Royal Marines, enhance NATO’s rapid-response options, and support joint training with Dutch forces, including operations in the Arctic and protection of under-sea infrastructure.
Official Statements & Responses
- Defence Minister Luke Pollard emphasized that the programme “restores a dedicated amphibious capability” and will sustain shipbuilding activity across the Clyde, Rosyth and other yards.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer framed the partnership as a means to “strengthen NATO” and secure long-term security for both nations.
- Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis highlighted the joint effort as a boost to “defence and deterrence as close NATO allies and JEF partners.”
- Navantia UK’s Donato Martinez described the ships as “a vital component of Britain’s sovereign naval defence capability.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “We are working with the Netherlands to develop a joint capability, and our ambition is for the first ship to enter service in the 2030s.” — Luke Pollard, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry
- “Combining the U.K.’s industrial expertise with the Netherlands’ design and seafaring experience to deliver ?first-rate platforms for our elite amphibious forces, this partnership will strengthen NATO,” — Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- “Donato Martinez, Chief Executive of Navantia UK, said: “Amphibious transport ships will be a vital component of Britain’s sovereign naval defence capability going forward.” — Donato Martinez, Chief Executive, Navantia UK
- “We are building an even stronger amphibious force with the Netherlands, strengthening our defense and deterrence as close NATO allies and JEF [Joint Expeditionary Force] partners.” — Dan Jarvis, UK Defence Secretary
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The government has announced that all eight hulls will be built in UK shipyards, yet it has not identified the specific yards or detailed the contract structure. Navantia UK has positioned its Belfast facility as a candidate, but no official builder has been named, leaving the final industrial allocation unresolved.
