The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Spanish shipyard Navantia in Riad on 11 December 2024 for the supply of three additional Avante 2200 corvettes, identical to the five Avante corvettes already in service with the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF).
Construction of the first new corvette will begin imminently, while the last ship is scheduled for delivery in 2028.
Navantia will be responsible for delivering the first corvette in Spain and will finalise the second and third units in Saudi Arabia for the installation, integration and trials of the Hazem combat system; this will be provided by SAMINavantia, the joint venture between Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) and Navantia, similar to the work carried out on the fourth and fifth corvettes of the first contract.
SAMINavantia will supply the complete combat system for all three corvettes.
With Saudi Arabia’s ambition to localise shipbuilding capabilities, the contract also includes a comprehensive training plan for more than 100 Saudi engineers and the manufacturing of blocks for the third corvette in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, Navantia will transfer the intellectual property rights of the Avante 2200 design to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), enabling the design’s utilisation for the manufacturing of future corvettes for the Kingdom, as well as for potential exports.
Navantia will also supply an integrated logistical support package and training for the crews, while operational training will be conducted by the Spanish Navy at Rota Naval Base in Spain, during which Navantia will provide support services to the RSNF.
Navantia’s Avante 2200 corvette is a multi-purpose vessel specially designed for patrolling and monitoring exclusive economic zones, maritime traffic surveillance and control missions, search-and-rescue missions and assistance to other vessels, among other tasks. In addition, the vessels also have the capacity to defend strategic assets and feature anti-surface and anti-submarine, air defence, intelligence and electronic warfare capabilities.
