Overview
- The UK and the Netherlands signed the £2.4 billion agreement on Tuesday, July 7, to jointly procure eight amphibious transport ships with each nation operating four vessels.
- The ships are described as roughly 160 metres long and 15,000 tonnes and will be configured to carry troops, vehicles and long‑range drones with flight decks sized for current and future uncrewed systems.
- Ministers say the vessels will be built in UK shipyards but the government has not yet confirmed the official design, the selected yards, the contract structure or firm delivery dates.
- Defence Minister Luke Pollard has set an in‑service ambition for the first ship in the 2030s while industry players such as Navantia UK have publicly pitched Harland & Wolff in Belfast to build the class.
- The deal implements a shift away from the previously planned Multi‑Role Strike Ship, restores capability lost after HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark were retired, and will be closely watched for its impact on UK shipyard workloads, jobs and NATO interoperability.