Navantia: Steel cut for new Avante 2200 corvette for Saudi Arabia

Spanish shipbuilder Navantia has held a steel-cutting ceremony for the second corvette for the Royal Saudi Naval Force (RSNF), within the new contract signed at the end of last year, which involves the construction of three more ships to be added to the five previously delivered to the RSNF.

The start of construction of this second unit, three months after the first one, was held at Navantia San Fernando shipyard on March 13, 2025.

Navantia will be responsible for delivering the first unit, while the second and third will be completed in Saudi Arabia with the installation, integration, and testing of the combat system, as was done in the previous contract.

The order includes the supply of an integrated logistics support package and crew training, along with an operational evaluation period of the ships by the Spanish Navy at the Rota Naval Base, where Navantia will provide support services. Additionally, Navantia will be responsible for the training of 100 Saudi engineers.

This second series of three corvettes for Saudi Arabia will be identical to the first series, with a design based on the Avante 2200 model from Navantia, a versatile ship specially designed for missions of maritime traffic surveillance and control, search and rescue missions, and assistance to other ships, among others.

Additionally, the ships will have significant capabilities for the defense of strategic assets, intelligence, and anti-submarine, anti-air, anti-surface, and electronic warfare capabilities.

The last of these three ships is expected to be delivered in 2028.