MADRID/JEDDAH — June 03, 2026: Spanish state-owned shipbuilder Navantia has signed a five-year Follow-On Support (FOS) contract with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence to provide maintenance and sustainment services for the first batch of five Avante 2200 corvettes delivered to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF).
The agreement expands lifecycle support activities that Navantia has been providing since the commissioning of the first corvette, HMS Al-Jubail, in 2022. The contract will be carried out at King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah and is intended to maintain fleet readiness, ensure technical support continuity, and strengthen long-term sustainment capabilities for the Saudi Navy.
Under the new agreement, Navantia will increase the number of specialized technicians deployed to Saudi Arabia to oversee both platform maintenance and combat system support for the five vessels. The expanded technical presence will support routine maintenance requirements and ensure the operational availability of onboard systems.
In addition to maintenance services, the contract includes a continuous supply of spare parts for all five corvettes. The arrangement is designed to support uninterrupted sustainment activities and reduce maintenance delays by ensuring the availability of essential components throughout the ships’ service lifecycle.
A major element of the agreement is a localization programme aimed at expanding Saudi Arabia’s domestic naval support capabilities. Navantia will provide specialized training and technical knowledge transfer to Saudi personnel, enabling local manufacturing of spare parts and supporting the development of in-country maintenance expertise.
The localization effort builds upon the existing SAMINavantia joint venture, which was established to support local combat system integration. Through training and industrial cooperation, the programme is expected to strengthen the Royal Saudi Naval Forces’ long-term sustainment and logistics capabilities while aligning with Saudi Arabia’s broader domestic industrial objectives.
The five vessels are based on Navantia’s Avante 2200 design and have been customized to meet Saudi operational requirements. The corvettes are designed for high survivability, strong seakeeping performance, and sustained operations in the high-temperature maritime environments of the Gulf and Red Sea regions.
The ships are equipped to conduct maritime surveillance, traffic monitoring, search and rescue missions, and the protection of strategic infrastructure. They also possess anti-surface, anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, and electronic warfare capabilities, allowing them to perform a broad range of naval operations.
The corvettes are integrated with several advanced systems, including the HAZEM combat system delivered through the SAMINavantia partnership, the HERMESYS integrated communications system, the DORNA fire-control director, the Integrated Platform Control System, and the MINERVA integrated bridge system.
The original programme for the first five vessels entered into force in November 2018. Following the launch of the first corvette in July 2020 at Navantia’s Bay of Cadiz shipyards in Spain, the company maintained a production schedule under which the remaining vessels were launched at intervals of approximately four months. Construction of the first batch was completed within three years, with final delivery concluded in March 2024.
Beyond ship construction, the initial programme also included integrated logistics support, operational training for Royal Saudi Naval Forces personnel, and the establishment of dedicated Training and Education Centers in Jeddah for combat systems and platform control systems. These facilities were intended to strengthen operational preparedness and long-term fleet sustainment.
The signing of the five-year support agreement has also been positively received by Navantia’s workforce and labor representatives in San Fernando, Cadiz, as it provides long-term workload stability and employment continuity associated with maintenance and technical support activities.
The performance and delivery of the first five corvettes contributed to a follow-on contract signed in December 2024 for three additional Avante 2200 vessels with identical capabilities. Construction of the second batch is currently underway, with the keel laying of the seventh ship, HMS NEOM, completed in May 2026.
According to programme details, the second batch represents approximately four million hours of industrial work and is expected to support around 2,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs. The final vessel of the new series is scheduled for delivery in 2028.
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