Spanish shipbuilding major Navantia has held a keel-laying ceremony for the first in a series of three new Avante 2200 corvettes to be built for the Royal Saudi Navy (RSN).
As informed, the ceremony for the corvette HMS Al-Madinah took place in San Fernando (Cádiz) on July 9, 2025. The Saudi Ministry of Defense ordered the three additional vessels from this class in December last year.
The steel-cutting ceremony for the unit was held a week after signing the contract. This second series of three corvettes for Saudi Arabia will be identical to the first series. Additionally, the ships will have significant capabilities for the defense of strategic assets, intelligence, and anti-submarine, anti-air, anti-surface, and electronic warfare capabilities.
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The project also incorporates Navantia’s technology, including the HAZEM combat system, through the SAMINavantia joint venture, the HERMESYS integrated communications system, the DORNA fire control system, and the integrated platform control system.
It also will encompass the MINERVA integrated bridge, the propulsion engines, under license from MTU, the diesel generator sets, and the gearboxes, under license from Schelde.
Finally, Navantia Shiprepairs unit will also participate in the program with the work to be carried out during the corvette dockings in San Fernando.
The last of these three ships is expected to be delivered in 2028. Navantia will be responsible for delivering the first unit, while the second and third will be completed in Saudi Arabia with the installation, integration, and testing of the combat system.
This project follows the successful completion of the first contract for the RSN, which saw the delivery of five units.