Spanish shipbuilder Navantia has laid the keel for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces’ seventh corvette based on the company’s Avante 2200 model.
The ship, dubbed Construction No. 576, will be named HMS NEOM. It is the second of three additional corvettes under a December 2024 contract. The vessel is expected to launch soon along with the lead ship HMS Al-Madinah, while the final corvette is slated for delivery by 2029.
Under the deal, the first ship will be constructed in Spain. Meanwhile, the HMS NEOM and a third vessel, which has yet to be named, will have their construction as well as the installation, integration, and testing of combat systems completed in Saudi Arabia.
In addition, the contract covers an integrated logistics support package, as well as training for the crew and around one hundred Saudi engineers under the Industrial Participation Agreement.
The Spanish Navy will also carry out an operational evaluation period at Rota Naval Base, where Navantia will provide support services.
The three-ship series builds on a previous 2022 contract for five vessels of the same Avante 2200-class, which completed delivery in March 2024.
Multi-Purpose Platform
The Avante 2200 model was designed to be deployed for various operations, including maritime surveillance and traffic control, search and rescue, as well as anti-submarine, anti-air, anti-surface, and electronic warfare.
It is fitted with the HERMESYS integrated communications system, the DORNA fire-control director, the Integrated Platform Control System, and the MINERVA integrated bridge.
The model also features the HAZEM combat system, developed by the SAMINavantia joint venture.
SAMINavantia, which supplied key systems for the first five corvettes, supports Saudi Vision 2030, an initiative to localize over 50 percent of military spending through efforts such as technology transfer and training.
