Spanish defense contractor Navantia has cut the steel of the Royal Saudi Naval Force’s seventh Avante 2200-class corvette at its shipyard in San Fernando.
The ceremony formally launches the construction of the vessel three months following the initial corvette for the program.
Work for the initiative covers the supply of integrated logistics support and crew training services.
The Madrid-based company will also partner with the Spanish Navy to conduct an operational evaluation of the warship at the Rota Naval Base in Cádiz.
@NavantiaOficial corta chapa de la segunda #corbeta para Arabia Saudí en el astillero de San Fernando@NavantiaOficial cuts first steel for the second #Corvette for #SaudiArabia at the San Fernando shipyard
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https://t.co/mkqTCE5jAF pic.twitter.com/q832Tc3kg4
— Navantia (@NavantiaOficial) March 14, 2025
The construction is part of Riyadh’s contract in 2024 which requested Navantia develop three more Avante 2200 ships for the navy.
Currently, the Saudi Arabian Navy operates five vessels of the same class that were procured in 2022 and handed over in 2024.
For the latest award, the first corvette will be built in Spain, while the remainder will be completed in the Middle Eastern country.
Delivery of the three ships will be finalized by 2028, with Navantia to support up to 2,000 local jobs and 100 trainees in Saudi Arabia throughout the program.
The Avante 2200 Warship
Navantia’s Avante 2200 system is designed for “maritime traffic surveillance and control, search and rescue missions, and assistance to other ships.”
It measures 99 meters (325 feet) long, has a beam of 14 meters (46 feet), and accommodations for more than 90 personnel as well as a maritime helicopter.
The vessel is armed with a 76-millimeter naval cannon, a 35-millimeter close-in weapon system, 12.7-millimeter machine guns, anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes.
For propulsion, the platform is equipped with four combined diesel engines with over 5,500 horsepower each for a speed of 24 knots (44 kilometers/28 miles per hour) and a range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 kilometers/4,028 miles).
Although similar to the first Avante batch, Saudi Arabia’s incoming ships will have enhanced features for “defense of strategic assets, intelligence, and anti-submarine, anti-air, anti-surface, and electronic warfare capabilities.”
