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Al Jubail (Avante 2200) Al Sarawat project

On 12 July 2018 the Government of Saudi Arabia has signed the contract for the construction of five corvettes, an operation that reaches an amount of 1,8 billion Euros, the biggest one in the history of the public Spanish shipyards with a foreign client. The five corvettes, which were initially scheduled to complete deliveries by 2023, are expected to be delivered a year later than planned, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The corvettes will be based on AVANTE 2200 design, adapted to the requirements of Saudi Arabia, offering advanced presentations, an excellent behavior in the sea, high capacity of survival and capacity of operation at extreme temperatures as the area of the Gulf, all this with an ideal life cycle cost.

The Saudi version of the Avante 2200 is slightly different from the one the company has been advertising. At 104 m, it is longer than the 98.9 m patrol version that was built for Venezuela. The extra length may have been needed to accommodate larger engines as the Saudi version has a top speed of 27 kt, rather than 25 kt.

The corvettes for Saudi Arabia are based on Navantia AVANTE 2200 model, polyvalent ship specially designed for the missions of vigilance and control of the maritime traffic, missions of search and rescue and assistance for other ships, among others. In addition, the ships will have an important capacity for the defense of strategic assets, intelligence and antisubmarine, anti-aircraft capacity, antisurface and electronic war. The design of the corvettes is last generation, maximizing simultaneously Navantia’s participation incorporating own products as the system of combat CATIZ, the system of integrated communications HERMESYS, the direction of shot DORNA, the Integrated System of Control of Platform, the integrated bridge MINERVA and the engines and the reduction gearboxes.

This contract strengthens the immediate future of NAVANTIA and will benefit all the shipyards of the company. The signing of this contract with Arabia is going to be of benefit to the whole Navantia workers, to the local industry with which he collaborates and, especially, to the whole Bay of Cadiz, which explains that it should have received supports from all the areas of the Administration. This important operation puts also in value the international presence of the company since it places it in a fundamental area for the development of new programs.

In addition to the corvette contract, Navantia agreed with SAMI (Saudi Arabian Military Industries) to create a joint venture in Saudi Arabia, an alliance that allows Navantia to position its integrated systems and technologically advanced solutions in the Arab market and area of influence and is aligned with the company’s internationalization strategy. It also includes the provision of various services, such as integrated logistics support, operational and maintenance training, provision of Education and Training Centres for the Combat System and Platform Control System of ships, Life Cycle Support, and ship maintenance systems at the Jeddah Naval Base. Concurrently, around 700 crew members, engineers, and maintainers of these corvettes are completing the education and training process at the Navantia Training Center (NTC) in San Fernando.

NAVANTIA is a strategic company since it has capacities, facilities and areas of knowledge that are considered to be essential for the Defense and the National Security. This contract, which has been negotiated by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the year 2015, will suppose a global workforce of about 7 million hours for the shipyards of Bay of Cadiz, Estuary of Ferrol and Cartagena, as well as for his auxiliary industry. It is, therefore, a key contract to guarantee the activity of Navantia’s work, principally for the shipyards of Bay of Cadiz. The program will start at the end of 2018 and the last ship was to be commissioned in 2022. In addition, NAVANTIA will be responsible for the Support to the Life cycle for five years, from the delivery of the first nose, with option to other five additional years.

As for his impact in employment, it is calculated that for 5 years, near 6.000 direct and indirect jobs will be generated annually. More than 1.100 of them will be direct employees, more than 1.800 of Navantia’s Auxiliary Industry and more than 3.000 indirect generated by other suppliers. In addition, it consolidates internationally the Company and especially this product with its own system of combat, which can satisfy the needs of other potential clients in the region and on other markets of interest.

Navantia successfully carried out on 22 July 2020 the launching of AL-JUBAIL, the first of five corvettes built for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF). The ceremony was held in slipway number 2 at the San Fernando shipyard, and was chaired by the Commander of RSNF, H. E. Vice Admiral Fahad Bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily; by the Chairwoman of Navantia, Susana de Sarriá; by the Acting CEO of SAMI, Eng. Walid Abukhaled; and by the Admiral of Logistics Support Bay of Cadiz of Spanish Navy, Vice Admiral Ricardo A. Hernández López (Alardiz).

The ceremony started with a Quran recitation made by RSNF officer. Then a video about the Al-Jubail city (which the vessel has been named after) was played, and a time-lapse video was shown in which several months of construction have been summarized and can be seen in Navantia’s website. The national anthems of the Kingdoms of Saudi Arabia and Spain were played thereupon.

The Commander of RSNF highlighted the importance of ALSARAWAT Project, contracted to Navantia, as one of the largest capability-acquisition programs for the RSNF which reflects a strong strategic relation between Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kingdom of Spain and enlarges the cooperation between the RSNF and Spanish Navy in shipbuilding, education and training. The Commander of RSNF also indicated that the success of this project is a key factor for ambitious future projects and an enduring partnership. He also stated that this step comes within the framework of SAMI’s strategy to support the development of the military industries in the Kingdom, as well as enhancing its strategic independence and military readiness.”

The Chairwoman of Navantia highlighted Navantia’s commitment to the RSNF to replicate the successful model implemented throughout many years with the Spanish Navy, and during recent years with other navies such as the Royal Australian Navy, and provide a high capability level both to the RNSF and to the military industries sector of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in the corvette programme and also for future projects. Next, the ship’s Sponsor, the Commander of RSNF, ordered Capt. Abdullah Alshehri, director of RSNF PMO ALSARAWAT to cut the ribbon on his behalf, and the corvette AL-JUBAIL slid down the slipway and touched the water for the first time.

The AL-JUBAIL has a length of 104 metres, a beam of 14 metres and will be able to accommodate 102 people (crew and additional personnel). It will reach a maximum speed of 27 knots and, among other aspects, it has the capacity to carry 21 days’ supplies on board. The corvettes are the latest generation of successful Navantia-designed combatants, and incorporate state-of-the-art Navantia products, such as the CATIZ Combat System, DORNA Gun Fire Control System, NAVCOMS/HERMESYS Integrated External and Internal Communications System, MINERVA Integrated Navigation and Bridge System, or COMPLEX-SIMPLEX Integrated Platform Management Platform together with equipment manufactured by Navantia under license such as the Leonardo SUPER RAPID 76mm main gun, Rheinmetall Air Defence MILLENNIUM 35mm close-in weapon system, MTU propulsion engines and diesel generators, and RENK gearboxes.

Since the first steel cutting was made, in January 2019, all the workshops of Navantia, in San Fernando and also in Puerto Real, have been working tirelessly. AL-JUBAIL, hull number 828, has been successfully built despite the slowdown in activity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the safety protocols for the launching ceremony required all attendees to have their temperature taken, wear a face mask and maintain the required safety distance.

For the follow-on sister ships, the objective is to recover time and meet the initial milestones, so that the second corvette can be launched in November 2020. After the launching ceremony, Capt. Abdullah Alshehri, director of RSNF PMO ALSARAWAT, witnessed the progress in the construction of ship 830 ALDIRIYAH in slipway number 3.

The corvette program, which entered into force in November 2018, strengthens the immediate future of Navantia and benefits all the company’s shipyards and its auxiliary industry, especially the entire Bay of Cádiz. Specifically, it will suppose a global workload of around seven million hours that, translated into employment, will reach the figure of 6,000 jobs annually during the next 5 years. From these, more than 1,100 will be direct employees, more than 1,800 employees of the auxiliary industry Navantia and more than 3,000 indirect employees generated by other suppliers. There will be more than 100 auxiliary companies that collaborate in it.

The contract assumes a global workload of around seven million hours and 6,000 jobs over five years. Of these, more than 1,100 are direct employees, more than 1,800 collaborating industry employees (more than a hundred companies participate at the programme) and more than 3,000 indirect employees generated by other suppliers. The program includes, in addition to construction, the Life Cycle Support for five years from the delivery of the first ship, with an option for another five additional years.

The program, whose last ship should be delivered in 2024, includes, in addition to construction, Life Cycle Support for five years, from the delivery of the first ship, with the option of another five additional years. On the other hand, the contract also includes the supply of various services such as integrated logistical support, operational and maintenance training, supply of training and training Centers for the Combat System and Platform Control System for ships, Support to the Life Cycle, previously mentioned, and the systems for the maintenance of ships in the RNSF Jeddah Naval Base.

Navantia launched July 24 2021 the fourth of the five corvettes that it is building in the Bay of Cádiz shipyards for the Royal Saudi Arabian Navy (RSNF), which bears the name of JAZAN, in homage to this city in the southwest of the country. The ceremony, held at the San Fernando shipyard, was attended by the Commander of the Royal Saudi Navy, Vice Admiral Fahad Bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily; the Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy (AJEMA), Admiral General Antonio Martorell Lacave; the president of the State Society of Industrial Participations (SEPI), Belén Gualda; the president of Navantia, Ricardo Domínguez; the Vice President of Saudi Arabia Military Industries (SAMI), Wael Alsarhan, representing the CEO of the company, Walid Abukhaled, who has attended the event online and the Mayor of San Fernando, Patricia Cavada. The launching ceremony has been carried out with sanitary security measures.

The event began with a reading of the Koran, followed by the projection of several videos, about the city of Jazan (which gives the ship its name), about the Avante 2200 program and about the construction of this fourth corvette. The person in charge of welcoming has been the director of the shipyard and head of Defense of Navantia in the Bay, José Antonio Rodriguez Poch.

Navantia launched on 4 December 2021 the fifth corvette being built for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF), named ‘Unayzah’ as a tribute to this city located north of capital of Saudi Arabia. The event was attended by the Commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Vice-Admiral Fahad Bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily; the Spanish Secretary of State for Trade, Xiana Méndez, the Secretary General for Industry and SMEs and the Chairman of Navantia, Ricardo Domínguez. It has also included video interventions by the Admiral Chief of Staff of Spanish Navy, Admiral Antonio Martorell Lacave, and the CEO of SAMI (Saudi Arabia Military Industries), Walid Abukhaled.

On behalf of His Royal Highness Minister of Defence Princ Khaled Bin Salman, The Chief of Staff, General Fayyad bin Hamed al Ruwaili, and the Chief of Staff of Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Admiral Fahad Bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily, presided 07 March 2024 the commissioning of the fifth corvette, built at Navantia’s Bay of Cádiz shipyard, to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF). In accordance with the terms of the contract, the handover took place at the King Faisal naval base in Jeddah.

The corvette, named HMS UNAYZAH (C550), was transported to Jeddah on a specialised vessel and there underwent the final construction and systems integration works, confirming the technology transfer (ToT) and production localisation capability of Navantia to the SAMINavantia joint venture. Having concluded his speech, His Excellency has attributed a great deal of Alsarawat program’s success to Navantia commitment and expressed his gratitude to Mr. Ricardo Dominguez, the Chairman of Navantia, for the company’s exceptional achievements.

In this special occasion, His Excellency Chief of Staff of Royal Saudi Naval Forces, Vice Admiral Fahad Bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily delivered his speech indicating that HMS UNAYZAH is the fifth and last corvette of Al-Sarawat project to be delivered. HMS UNAYZAH, as the rest of her class, was built to be one of the world’s most technologically advanced and powerful corvette to meet National mandates in realization of Saudi vision 2030, possessing distinctive capabilities to handle multi-combat missions with high efficiency to enhance the combat readiness of the RSNF, to defend the strategic and vital interests of the Kingdom, and to maintain maritime security in the region.

His Excellency also indicated that the localization of defense capabilities development and integration carried out onboard HMS UNAYZAH in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the role of Saudi Arabian Military Industry (SAMI) in Alsarawat project, as well as, the successful accomplishment of extensive combat systems trials and live firings carried out in KSA, has heavily contributed to achieve one of Ministry of Defense’s strategy to localize more than 50% of the total military expenditure by 2030 aligning with Kingdom’s Vision.

In honor of this special occasion, His excellency Vice Admiral Al-Ghofaily expresses his utmost gratitude and appreciation to His Majesty the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Salman, Minister of Defense, God bless them all, for the endless support, care, and attention they always give to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces.

The contract for the construction of five corvettes entered into force in November 2018 and, since the launch of the first unit (July 2020), by early 2024 Navantia has already launched the five units with a period of four months between each one of them, which means achieving this milestone in a record time of three years. Deliveries were taking place after just over three years from the cutting of the first plate of each ship.