- Navantia will begin building the modules of the first of three Future Solid Support (FSS) ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA)
- FSS modules being built in Spain will later be transferred to the integration yard in Belfast
- Construction is taking place at Puerto Real shipyard in Cádiz, Spain, three years after the contract was first signed
Navantia has started the construction of modules that will make up the UK’s first FSS ship due to enter service with the civilian-crewed RFA by 2031.
Construction is taking place at Navantia’s Puerto Real shipyard in Cádiz, Spain, three years after the contract was first signed. The milestone comes a month after the steel was first cut at the company’s Appledore facility in North Devon.
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The FSS programme will see Navantia UK’s shipyard in Appledore and Harland & Wolff (Belfast), work collaboratively with Navantia’s shipyards in Spain for subsequent assembly, testing and delivery in Belfast.
FSS will provide support ships designed to deliver crucial munitions, supplies and provisions to the Royal Navy – through the RFA – while at sea. They will provide logistical and operational support for the Carrier Strike Group at sea, supplying ammunition, spare parts, food and other essential stores.
Each ship will be civilian-crewed by 101 RFA personnel, with accommodation provided for an additional 80 personnel operating helicopters, boats, or performing other roles when required.
The steel cutting in Cádiz was attended by the UK Defence Attaché in Spain, Captain Antony Crabb, and Navantia’s Director of Operations and Business Development, Gonzalo Mateo‑Guerrero.
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By GlobalDataCrabb welcomed the fact that the FSS programme is on time and within budget. “Today’s commencement of construction at Puerto Real marks a significant milestone for the FSS programme, which is a great example of the cooperation between our two defence industries and our two countries.”
Each FSS ship will be 216 metres long – the equivalent of two football pitches – and will have a displacement of 39,000 tonnes, making them the second‑largest ships in service with UK Defence, second only to the aircraft carriers.
This new capability will strengthen defence operations, enabling the Royal Navy to remain at sea for extended periods without the need to return to port.
