Navantia Reveals Bold Initiative: Introducing Saudi Arabia’s Seventh Avante 2200 Corvette!
Navantia, the Spanish defense manufacturing company, has officially commenced the assembly of the seventh Avante 2200-class corvette for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces at its San Fernando shipyard.
This notable milestone comes three months after the initiation of work on the inaugural vessel under a fresh agreement established in 2024, which outlines the production of three additional corvettes for Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Navy presently operates five Avante 2200 warships, which were procured in 2022 and delivered in 2024.
As per the recent contract, the first corvette will be constructed in Spain, while the subsequent two will be manufactured within Saudi Arabia. The trio of new vessels is anticipated to be completed by 2028, with Navantia generating up to 2,000 local job opportunities and training 100 personnel in the nation throughout the project.
The Avante 2200 Corvette
Designed for various naval operations, such as maritime reconnaissance, search and rescue missions, and fleet assistance, the Avante 2200-class corvette measures 99 meters in length, features a 14-meter beam, and can accommodate over 90 crew members along with a maritime helicopter.
Its armament includes a 76mm naval gun, a 35mm close-in weapon system, 12.7mm machine guns, anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes. Powered by four diesel engines delivering over 5,500 horsepower each, the vessel can reach speeds of 24 knots (44 km/h) and has an operational range of 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km).
While similar to the existing Saudi fleet, the upcoming corvettes will integrate advanced capabilities for protecting key assets and conducting intelligence, anti-submarine, anti-air, anti-surface, and electronic warfare operations. The initiative also includes comprehensive logistics support and crew training.
As part of the program, Navantia will collaborate with the Spanish Navy to carry out operational assessments of the warship at Rota Naval Base in Cádiz.
