The steel-cutting ceremony for the UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s (RFA’s) first Fleet Solid Support (FSS) was held at Navantia UK’s Appledore shipyard in North Devon on 3 December 2025, marking a significant milestone in FSS programme.
The steel-cutting ceremony, led by UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard, officially kicked off the start of the construction of the first FSS ship. The programme’s critical design review was passed in November 2025.
Commodore Sam Shattock, head of the RFA, revealed that the name of the first FSS ship will be RFA Resurgent. The ceremony was attended by the Navantia UK workforce along with apprentices and representatives from the UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) organisation, the RFA, the Royal Navy, government and industry. UK suppliers to the FSS programme as well as local businesses supplying to the Appledore shipyard were also in attendance.
Each FSS ship will be 216 m long and will provide munitions, spares, food and other essential stores to naval vessels at sea, ensuring the Royal Navy can remain at sea for prolonged periods without returning to port.
The North Devon shipyard will construct the bow sections of the ships, which will comprise three individual blocks, while the stern sections will be constructed at Navantia’s yard in Cádiz, Spain. The final assembly of the ships and construction of the mid-section of the vessels will take place at Navantia UK’s Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
Navantia UK currently employs 200 people in Appledore, including 20 new apprentices who were recruited this year in partnership with Petroc College.
Cdre Shattock said of the FSS design, “The ship is innovative, meets the latest environmental protection standards and is designed from the bottom up to deliver maritime sustainment as efficiently as possible. The construction will provide impetus to the UK shipbuilding industry, supporting jobs and local economies at the various construction and assembly locations in the UK. I’m excited to watch this ship join the RFA flotilla and demonstrate its capabilities in due course: a true warfighting enabler for the Royal Navy of tomorrow.”
Keith Bethell, DE&S director for the maritime environment, added, “This is a significant moment for everyone involved in the delivery of this programme. The FSS ships represent a major investment in the RFA’s ability to support frontline naval forces globally. Each vessel will serve as a crucial supply link for carrier-led operations, proudly built by skilled workers brought together for this shared mission.”
Ricardo Domínguez, the Navantia chairman, stated, “This partnership between Britain and Spain matters. As European nations face shared security challenges, industrial co-operation like this makes both countries stronger. It is almost a year since Appledore, Belfast, Methil and Arnish facilities joined Navantia UK. I would also like to commend the hard work of all those involved in the integration and the creation of this new actor in British shipbuilding. Today is also proof of your commitment and professionalism.”
Navantia UK says the investment across its four yards – Appledore, Arnish, Belfast and Methil – is one of the most significant industrial revitalisation projects in the UK, strengthening the country’s industrial base and sovereign defence capabilities. The FSS programme will grow the workforce in the long term, adding high-skilled jobs in computer-aided design, advanced manufacturing and digital systems integration. As work on the FSS programme accelerates, Navantia UK aims to employ 1,500 by 2029–30 and around 2,000 by the early 2030s.
Currently, Navantia UK employs 222 apprentices across its four yards, representing 20% of its workforce.
