The United Kingdom and the Netherlands have signed a £2.4 billion ($3.2 billion) maritime partnership to jointly develop and build a new generation of amphibious transport ships, reinforcing decades of defence cooperation between the two NATO allies. According to Reuters, the agreement was signed on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Turkey, with both governments describing it as a major step toward enhancing the alliance’s amphibious capabilities and strengthening Europe’s collective security.
Under the partnership, British and Dutch armed forces will operate the same class of amphibious transport ships, improving interoperability during joint missions and crisis response operations. The vessels will be based on a Dutch design and constructed in UK shipyards with support from Dutch industry, creating hundreds of skilled jobs while combining Britain’s shipbuilding expertise with the Netherlands’ long-standing naval engineering experience. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the collaboration would deliver world-class platforms for elite amphibious forces while reinforcing NATO’s operational readiness.
The programme builds on more than 50 years of cooperation through the UK–Netherlands Amphibious Force, Europe’s longest-running integrated military force. Beyond the new ships, the enhanced maritime partnership includes closer collaboration on autonomous maritime technologies, protection of critical undersea infrastructure, and expanded joint deployments across the North Atlantic, High North, and Arctic regions. Officials said the common platform will improve the ability of both navies to respond rapidly to humanitarian crises, regional conflicts, and emerging security threats.
The agreement reflects a broader trend of deeper European defence cooperation as NATO members increase military investment in response to evolving geopolitical risks. Bloomberg says the joint programme will strengthen industrial collaboration, reduce procurement costs through shared capability development, and enhance NATO’s ability to deploy integrated amphibious forces, reinforcing both nations’ roles as key contributors to European and transatlantic security.
