UK–Indonesia £4bn maritime deal secures 1,000 UK jobs
Let’s start with the headline facts. Britain and Indonesia have agreed a £4 billion maritime partnership that the UK Government says will secure 1,000 UK jobs and support Indo‑Pacific security, announced across 21–22 November 2025.
What’s actually being built? Under the Maritime Partnership Programme, led by British firm Babcock, the two countries plan to co‑develop naval capability for Indonesia’s navy and build more than 1,000 fishing vessels in Indonesia using British shipbuilding know‑how to bolster food security.
Where are the UK jobs? Most are expected at Babcock’s Rosyth shipyard in Fife, with further roles in Bristol and at the Devonport dockyard in Plymouth. Note the phrasing: these roles are described as “secured”, not necessarily new posts.
Why Indonesia is doing this matters for classrooms studying development as well as defence. The programme is pitched as investment in local shipbuilding, support for fishing communities, and a way to strengthen maritime security, with food security listed as a top priority for President Prabowo Subianto. We’re encouraged to read this as both an economic and social policy move backed by a defence partnership.
Security is not abstract here. Officials frame the deal as supporting “freedom of navigation” and a rules‑based international order in the Indo‑Pacific. In plain English: safe sea lanes mean trade flows, and trade flows keep prices steadier for families and businesses. Expect more joint training so both navies can operate together more smoothly.
Because more boats can mean more pressure on fish stocks, the sustainability piece is key. The government links the future vessels to the UK’s Blue Planet Fund, with work on fish‑stock assessment, fisheries management, marine conservation and community‑led coastal resilience to guide how fleets operate.
The skills angle is worth your attention. Alongside ships, the partnership talks about technology transfer and joint research into “next‑generation” shipbuilding, including automation and artificial intelligence. Babcock also plans to build ties between UK and Indonesian universities around precision engineering, digital ship design and integrated naval systems. For students, that’s a clue to the kinds of STEM skills employers will be hiring for over the next decade.
Media‑literacy break: notice the verbs. “Set to be announced”, “expected”, and “secured” signal work that is planned and in progress, not finished. When you see big job numbers, ask: over how many years, in which locations, and through which suppliers? It’s a healthy habit when reading any government press notice.
Ministers also point to a wider export push: a £10 billion contract with Norway for next‑generation anti‑submarine destroyers and an £8 billion deal with Türkiye for 20 Typhoon jets. They say these support 4,000 and 20,000 UK jobs respectively.
What this means for you as a learner or teacher: this single agreement sits at the meeting point of geopolitics, industrial strategy and sustainable fisheries. A useful class activity is to map the trade‑offs on a page: jobs and skills; sea lane security; fair benefits for small‑scale fishers; and safeguards for ocean health. You’ll build a sharper, fairer argument by testing all four at once.