LONDON 

Britain has recorded its highest-ever annual value of defense exports in 2025, with government figures showing more than £20 billion (about $27 billion) worth of deals secured, marking the strongest performance since records began more than 40 years ago.

In a statement on Friday, the UK government said the agreements demonstrate rapid progress on its strategic defense review goal of making defense a driver of economic growth while reinforcing military ties with NATO allies amid heightened global tensions.

Flagship agreements include what ministers described as the UK’s largest warship export deal to date: a £10 billion ($13.5 billion) contract with Norway for at least five Type 26 frigates.

The deal is expected to support around 4,000 jobs across the UK and involve more than 430 companies, many of them small and medium-sized suppliers.

The government also secured what it called the largest fighter jet export agreement “in a generation,” agreeing to sell 20 Typhoon aircraft to Türkiye in a deal valued at £8 billion ($10.7 billion).

Ministers say the deal will support around 20,000 jobs, particularly in Lancashire and Scotland, while strengthening NATO’s southern flank.

"We are showing again how this government is delivering on our pledge to make defense an engine for economic growth across the country while boosting our security and that of our allies," Minister of State for Defense Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard said in a statement.

"By winning the historic deal to build Type 26 frigates for Norway, we are driving growth in Scotland and across the UK while better equipping our combined navies to counter the threat from Russia in the North Atlantic. And by exporting Typhoon fighter jets to Türkiye, we are securing high-skilled jobs in Lancashire, Scotland and across the UK whilst helping strengthen NATO’s southern flank," he explained.

"We are committed to working with our allies and defense industries to make sure the UK is a leader in global defense exports, and there’s more to come in 2026," he added.

Additional exports include the sale of 12 C-130 aircraft to Türkiye, worth more than £550 million ($742 million) to UK defense firms including Marshall Aerospace Group, as well as the export of 18 military transport vehicles built by Devon-based Supacat to the Czech armed forces, the government said.

The export drive comes alongside broader defense cooperation initiatives, including a new agreement with Norway to jointly operate in the North Atlantic, closer AUKUS ties with Australia, and the UK’s recent decision to join the Agreement on Defense Export Controls with France, Germany, and Spain.

UK defense export statistics date back to 1983, making 2025 the most lucrative year on record.