Navantia has begun module construction at its Puerto Real shipyard in Cádiz, southwestern Spain, for the United Kingdom’s Fleet Solid Support (FSS) program.
The effort brings together Navantia UK’s shipyard in Appledore, England; Harland and Wolff in Belfast, Northern Ireland; and Navantia’s facilities in Spain to deliver three logistics vessels for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Steel cutting for the program was completed last month at the Appledore yard.
The start of work at Puerto Real signals the shift from the design phase into full production, nearly three years after the £1.6 billion ($2.1 billion) contract was signed. Modules fabricated in Spain will be shipped to Belfast, where final assembly, testing, and delivery will take place.
The three Fleet Solid Support ships are scheduled to enter service by 2032. Once operational, they will rank as the second-largest vessels in the UK fleet, surpassed only by the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
Designed to sustain long-duration naval operations, the ships will enable the Royal Navy to remain deployed at sea without frequent port visits. Operated by Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel, they will support the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group by supplying ammunition, spare parts, food, and other critical stores.
Each vessel will measure 216 meters in length, roughly equivalent to two Premier League football pitches, and displace approximately 39,000 tons.
