Navantia signs deal to supply new Avante 2200 corvettes to Saudi Arabia
The Avante 2200 corvette is a familiar part of Saudi Arabia’s naval defence. (Photo: Navantia)
The vessels are the latest additions to an ongoing supply arrangement for Saudi Arabia’s defence force.
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that it will contract Navantia to deliver three new corvettes to join the Royal Saudia Naval Force (RSNF).
The three new vessels will be based on the company’s Avante 2200 corvettes and will be identical to units already in service with the RSNF.
The Avante 2200 is a multipurpose vessel designed to patrol and monitor Saudi Arabia’s Exclusive Economic Zone. It will also conduct maritime traffic surveillance and control missions, search and rescue missions and other mission profiles.
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The vessel is capable of acting in defence of Saudi Arabia’s strategic assets, on intelligence missions, and as an anti-submarine, anti-aircraft and anti-surface asset when needed.
Construction of the first of the three new units will begin almost immediately, and the last vessel has been scheduled for delivery in 2028. The Saudi Arabian MoD signed an executive agreement with its Spanish counterpart in October 2024 to support the building of all three corvettes, with particular additions to the agreement.
The first of the new corvettes will be built and delivered in Spain, while the remaining two will be finalised in Saudi Arabia. That will include installation, integration and trial of the Hazem combat system by SAMINavantia. That echoes procedures that were followed with the fourth and fifth units of the company’s previous supply contract with the RSNF.
The new contract also covers a training plan for more than 100 Saudi Arabian engineers, and a transfer of intellectual property rights, so the design can be used to build future corvettes entirely within the Kingdom.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Naval: Combat Management Systems | Avante 2200 (6-8) [Saudi Arabia]
Avante 2200 (6-8) [Saudi Arabia]
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