Navantia’s shipyard in Puerto Real, Cádiz, has begun the construction of modules for the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme that will see Navantia UK deliver three logistics ships for the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), Navantia announced on 23 January 2026.
The construction of the first modules follows Navantia announcing on 12 November 2025 that the FSS programme had successfully completed its critical design review and first steel being cut for the programme at Navantia UK’s Appledore shipyard in North Devon on 3 December 2025. The Appledore yard will construct the bow sections of the ships, which will comprise three individual blocks, while the stern sections are being constructed in Cádiz. 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.
The three ships being built under the FSS programme were ordered under a GBP 1.6 billion (EUR 1.81 billion) contract awarded in January 2023 to Team Resolute, in which Navantia UK is the prime contractor and the UK’s BMT Group is responsible for the design.
The FSS vessels are designed to provide munitions, spares, food and other essential stores to naval vessels at sea, ensuring Royal Navy warships can remain on operations for prolonged periods without returning to port. They will be 216 m long and have a displacement of 39,000 tonnes, making them the largest UK military ships with the exception of the Royal Navy’s two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
Referring to the start of FSS module construction in Cádiz, Gonzalo Mateo Guerrero, Navantia’s director of operations and business development, was quoted as saying, “The start of work at this shipyard is a clear demonstration of Navantia’s commitment to a customer of vital importance. We are placing our very best capabilities at the service of this programme and its delivery, meeting the highest standards of quality and rigour.”
