The United Kingdom and the Netherlands have signed a £2.4 billion agreement to jointly develop and procure eight next-generation amphibious transport ships, with four vessels entering service with each navy. The deal was signed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten on 7 July at the NATO Summit in Ankara, marking the largest joint naval procurement programme between the two countries in their history.
The Damen Enforcer Platform
Although neither government has officially named the final design, the vessels will be 160 metres long and displace 15,000 tonnes — dimensions that match the Damen Naval Enforcer 15628 LPD concept, widely regarded as the baseline for the programme. The Enforcer baseline accommodates a crew of around 150 and between 430 and 560 embarked troops, depending on mission configuration. A 1,530 m² vehicle deck, floodable well dock, side RoRo access and a two-spot flight deck allow troops, vehicles and supplies to be landed by helicopter and landing craft. Diesel-electric propulsion provides a range of approximately 8,000 nautical miles at 18 knots.
Critically, the flight decks are designed to operate current and future long-range drones and autonomous systems, supporting the Royal Navy's transition to what the Ministry of Defence calls a "hybrid Navy." The design emphasises flexible mission bays, aviation facilities and command-and-control capabilities over traditional large-scale amphibious assault, reflecting lessons from recent conflicts and NATO's evolving littoral warfare doctrine.
Replacing the MRSS
The Amphibious Transport Ship (ATS) programme supersedes the UK's Multi-Role Strike Ship (MRSS) concept, which had envisaged up to six vessels replacing the two Albion-class LPDs, three Bay-class landing ships and the aviation support ship RFA Argus. The 2026 Defence Investment Plan deemed MRSS "too complex" and not reflective of the planned UK Commando Force. The new joint programme delivers fewer but more interoperable platforms, with the two navies pooling maintenance, training, spare parts and even dry-dock facilities around a common hull.
Fifty Years of Amphibious Integration
British and Dutch marines have operated together under the UK-Netherlands Amphibious Force for more than half a century — Europe's longest-running integrated military formation. Operating the same class of transport ship will deepen that integration, enabling joint training, deployment and crisis response across NATO's northern flank, the North Atlantic and the High North.
The programme also builds on the UK's recent agreement with Norway to construct five Type 26 frigates in British shipyards, sustaining 4,000 UK jobs. Construction of the ATS vessels is expected to take place at UK shipyards — Harland & Wolff in Belfast, now owned by Navantia UK, has signalled strong interest — with Dutch industry providing design expertise and subsystems. The Netherlands has reserved €1 to €2.5 billion for its share, with the first Dutch ATS expected around 2032 and UK vessels following in the late 2030s.
Strategic Significance
The deal reflects a broader shift in European naval procurement towards joint programmes that distribute costs, ensure interoperability and build sovereign industrial capacity simultaneously. For NATO's northern European posture, eight common-platform amphibious ships — deployable in concert — represent a significant uplift in the Alliance's ability to project force into contested littoral environments, protect critical undersea infrastructure and respond to crises from the Baltic to the Arctic.