Navantia laid a keel for another corvette for Saudi Arabia

Navantii shipyards in San Fernando near Cadiz laid a keel under the eighth corvette built for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces. The future vessel, bearing the shipbuilding number C/577, will receive the name HMS Alula and will be the third unit of the second series of Avante 2200 corvettes for Saudi Arabia.

Future HMS Alula on the slope in San Fernando

The ceremony took place on July 2 and was of a working nature. It was attended by the Spanish group and the Royal Saudi Naval Forces. Location of the keel under future HMS Alula means that all three corvettes of the second series are already at an advanced stage Shipbuilding work.

The program implemented for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces therefore remains in an intense phase. After launching June 18, the first corvette of the second series, the future HMS AlMadinah, Navantia conducts parallel construction of subsequent ships. They're HMS. Neom and HMS AlulaThe keel was laid under today.

Second series of Avante Corvette 2200

The deliveries of three second series ships are to be completed in 2029. The first corvette will be handed over by Navantia, while the second and third are to be completed in Saudi Arabia. It provides for the installation, integration and trial of the combat system, as with previous contract.

The agreement also includes a package of logistical support, crew training and the period of operational assessment of ships by the Spanish Navy at Rota Base. Navantia is also to train about a hundred Saudi engineers. According to the company, the contract represents about four million man-hours for the Gulf of Cadiz region and can provide up to 2,000 jobs, counting direct, indirect and induced employment.

Importance of the programme for Riyadh and Navantii

The corvettes of the second series are to be identical to ships delivered earlier. Project based on model Avante 2200, intended for maritime surveillance, navigation control, search and rescue activities and support of other units. Ships also have the capacity to defend strategic infrastructure and to operate against submarines, submarines and air targets.

For Saudi Arabia, the programme means further strengthening the naval forces operating between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. For Spanish Navantii is confirmed that the Spanish shipyard maintains the pace of work on a series of ships, in which the supply of hulls combines with the transfer of industrial competences and training of Saudi technical personnel.