Norwegian shipbuilders the Ulstein Group and Larsnes Mek Verksted have begun a collaboration with the aim of supplying 28 new multi-role vessels for the Royal Norwegian Navy.
If selected, the partners will have the vessels' hulls built in Gdynia in Poland while final assembly will take place in Norway.
Both Larsnes and Ulstein said that up to 80 per cent Norwegian content would be used in the vessels' construction.
The partners intend to have the vessels completed as standardised platforms that can be adapted to various missions, from logistics and support operations to surveillance.
One of the requirements set by the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency is that the vessels must be able to operate effectively in Norwegian waters and under demanding climate conditions.
"We are ready to deliver both quality and capacity in line with the armed forces' needs," said Lars Lühr Olsen, Managing Director of Ulstein Verft, and Jarle Gunnarstein, General Manager of Larsnes Mek Verksted.