On 18 June 2026, Spain’s premier naval shipbuilder Navantia has launched the first of a second batch of three AVANTE 2200 corvettes for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF).
Empowering factor: The number of corvette-type combatants in the world’s inventories is increasing. Among them is Saudi Arabia, which as a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is highlighting the need for combatants with a high level of modularity and long endurance. The eight corvettes ordered from Navantia in two batches can be classed as multi-purpose platforms. Navantia is able to deliver the new combatants “on time” for an inherent demand, offering significant capabilities for the defence of strategic assets and intelligence, as well as anti-submarine (ASW), anti-air (AAW) anti-surface (ASuW) and electronic warfare (EW).
How capability matters: In general, modern corvettes offer capabilities of larger warships but at substantially lower cost in construction, manpower and maintenance. Corvette-type combatants perform in a variety of missions, including surveillance and reconnaissance, missile strikes against enemy surface ships and coastal installations, anti-amphibious defence, as well as escort of larger surface combatants. Spain’s Navantia ranks among the world’s premier shipbuilder that own key expertise in designing, constructing and manufacturing warships in this category for an increasing local and global demand.
According to Navantia, the second batch consists of three units, the last of which will be delivered in 2029. The first one will be commissioned in Spain, while the second and third will be completed in Saudi Arabia with the installation, integration and testing of the combat system, as was the case for the fourth and fifth units of the previous contract. The first five units in the series – HMS Al Jubail (828), HMS Al Diriyah (830), HMS Hail (832), HMS Jazan (834) and HMS Unayzah (836) – are set to represent a substantial – and much awaited – improvement of the RSNF’s surface fleet, with the multi-purpose units able to cope with existing threats in the southern Red Sea.
In line with the Kingdom’s naval modernisation efforts, the new corvettes incorporate the HAZEM combat system, a derivative of Navantia’s CATIZ combat system, which is the first Saudi Combat System developed by the SAMI-Navantia Joint Venture. It was told that the SAMI-Navantia Joint Venture holds the ambition of making the HAZEM combat system across the Saudi fleet, with potential also in the export market. Other capabilities include a DORNA gun fire control system; the NAVCOMS/HERMESYS integrated external and internal communications system; the MINERVA integrated navigation and bridge system; and the COMPLEX-SIMPLEX integrated platform management platform, together with equipment manufactured by Navantia under license such as Leonardo’s Super Rapid 76mm main gun, Rheinmetall Air Defence’s Millennium 35mm close-in weapon system (CIWS), MTU propulsion engines and diesel generators, and gearboxes under Schelde license. Navantia’s Repairs Business Unit will further support the programme through work carried out during the corvettes’ dry dockings at its San Fernando (Cádiz) yard. Navantia informed that the Saudi corvette programme is a demonstration of the shipyard’s commitment to the principles of localisation and sovereign capability rooted in the so-called “Vision 2030”.
