On 12 July the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia signed a contract with Navantia for the construction of five corvettes. The amount of contract is €1.8 billion.
The programme will start in late 2018 and the last vessel will be delivered in 2022. In addition, Navantia will be responsible for life cycle support for five years from the delivery of the first vessel, with an option for an additional five years.
The corvettes will be based on the AVANTE 2200 design, adapted to the requirements of the Royal Saudi Arabian Navy. The multi-purpose vessel is especially designed for surveillance and maritime traffic control missions, search and rescue missions and assistance to other ships, among others. In addition, the vessels will provide an important capacity for defence of strategic assets, intelligence gathering and anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, anti-surface and electronic warfare missions.
The contract also includes the supply of various services such as integrated logistic support, operational and maintenance training, supply of training and training centres for the combat and platform control systems, life cycle support and shore-based maintenance support.
Navantia has also agreed the creation of a joint venture with Saudi state company Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI). This alliance benefits Navantia and allows the strengthening of defence programmes in Saudi Arabia, reinforcing its economy in line with the government’s Vision 2030.
