Navantia has reached a key phase in the construction of the second series of corvettes for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF), with three ships now in active production. On July 9, the San Fernando shipyard in Cádiz marked two milestones: the keel laying of the first vessel in this batch and the first steel cut for the third.
The keel-laying ceremony for the future HMS Al-Madinah, designated as the 571st ship built by Navantia, was attended by RSNF Vice Admiral Mohammed Abdlrahman Alghuraybi and Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Spain, Princess Haifa bint Abdulaziz Al-Mogrin. They were received by Navantia President Ricardo Domínguez and Corvettes Division Director Alberto Cervantes.
The ceremony also included the symbolic signing of a commemorative plaque, which was later welded by a Navantia worker, and the initiation of steel cutting for the third corvette. With these steps completed, all three vessels under this contract are now under construction. The first unit will be delivered from Spain, while the second and third are to be completed in Saudi Arabia with final integration and combat system testing, replicating the approach taken during the earlier five-ship contract.
The new contract also includes integrated logistics support, crew training, and operational trials with the Spanish Navy at Rota naval base. Around 100 Saudi engineers are expected to be trained by Navantia as part of the program. The overall workload is estimated at around four million labor hours and is projected to support up to 2,000 jobs in the Cádiz region.
Based on the AVANTE 2200 design, the corvettes are tailored for a variety of missions including maritime patrol, rescue operations, and the protection of strategic assets. The ships will be equipped with several Navantia-developed systems, including the HAZEM combat system (via the SAMINavantia joint venture), the HERMESYS communications suite, and the DORNA fire control system. Other components include MTU-licensed propulsion engines, Schelde-licensed gearboxes, and the MINERVA integrated bridge system.