OSLO (Reuters) -The Norwegian navy plans to order a fleet of British-made frigates to boost the country's maritime defences, Norway's government said on Sunday.

Germany, France, Britain and the United States had offered rival frigate designs in competition for what is expected to be NATO-member Norway's largest military procurement to date.

The government's decision means that Norway will now enter final contract negotiations, making the choice of supplier all but certain.

"The frigates are an essential part of our defense because they are key to defend our sovereignty," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a press conference.

British officials, seeking economies of scale for their own navy and to boost Scotland's shipyard industry, had heavily promoted the BAE Systems' frigates, known as the T-26 City-class.

Stoere said the government sought to answer two questions in its selection process.

"Who is our most strategic partner? And who has delivered the best frigates? ... The answer to both is the United Kingdom," he said.

The Nordic nation of 5.6 million people shares a border with Russia and is ramping up defense spending in light of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that NATO allies must bolster their own military strength.

(Reporting by Nora Buli and Terje Solsvik; editing by Gwladys Fouche)