The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) will depend on Spanish naval shipbuilder Navantia to construct major components of the Royal Navy’s new Fleet Solid Support (FSS) vessels until at least 2026. The decision is part of a broader £1.6 billion contract awarded to “Team Resolute,” a consortium led by BMT, Harland & Wolff, and Navantia UK. While final assembly will occur in the UK, the move underscores ongoing challenges in British naval industrial capacity and has sparked debate over sovereign defense manufacturing.
Strategic Logistics: The Role of FSS Ships in Royal Navy Operations
The Fleet Solid Support ships are a critical component of the UK’s future naval logistics architecture. Designed to accompany the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and other capital ships within carrier strike groups (CSGs), these vessels will deliver dry stores such as ammunition, food, and spare parts while underway—enabling sustained operations at sea.
Each FSS vessel is expected to displace around 40,000 tonnes and measure approximately 216 meters in length. They are being designed by BMT with a focus on NATO interoperability and replenishment-at-sea (RAS) efficiency. The ships will feature multiple RAS stations and helicopter decks for vertical replenishment (VERTREP), making them essential enablers of expeditionary maritime power projection.
Team Resolute Contract Structure and Timeline
The £1.6 billion contract was awarded in January 2023 under the UK’s National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh. Team Resolute—a partnership between British engineering firm BMT (design lead), Harland & Wolff (assembly lead), and Navantia UK—won against competitors including BAE Systems and Team UK Steel.
Under current plans:
- Design work is led by BMT from its Bath office.
- Steel cutting began at Navantia’s Puerto Real yard in Cádiz Province in early 2024.
- Block construction will continue in Spain through at least late 2026.
- Final assembly will occur at Harland & Wolff’s Belfast yard starting mid-2025.
This hybrid model aims to balance delivery speed with industrial benefits for both UK and Spanish partners. However, it also reflects limitations in British yard throughput following decades of consolidation and underinvestment.
Why Spain? Industrial Capacity Constraints Drive Outsourcing
The choice to outsource early-stage fabrication to Spain stems largely from capacity constraints within British yards. Harland & Wolff’s Belfast facility—though historically significant—is undergoing modernization but lacks sufficient throughput to handle all three hulls simultaneously without delay.
Navantia brings modern digital shipbuilding infrastructure honed through recent programs like Spain’s S-80 submarines and F-110 frigates. Its Puerto Real yard offers high modular construction efficiency using automated welding lines and digital twin modeling—capabilities not yet fully replicated across UK yards outside BAE Systems’ Glasgow operations.
This outsourcing approach is not unprecedented; similar models have been used by Australia (e.g., with Luerssen for OPVs) and Canada (with Italy’s Fincantieri). Yet it remains politically sensitive given Brexit-era promises of “Build Back British” defense procurement policies.
Sovereignty Concerns vs Delivery Urgency
The decision has sparked criticism from some quarters within Parliament and industry bodies who argue that reliance on foreign yards undermines sovereign defense capability goals outlined in the Integrated Review Refresh (IR23). Critics point out that while final outfitting occurs domestically, high-value steelwork—and associated skilled labor—is being offshored during a period when UK shipbuilding employment needs stimulus.
Supporters counter that delivery urgency outweighs ideological purity. With HMS Queen Elizabeth-class carriers already operational since 2017–2019, their full logistical support suite remains incomplete without modern solid support ships—posing risks during prolonged deployments or joint NATO operations where autonomous resupply is essential.
Future Outlook: Will Domestic Capability Catch Up?
The MoD maintains that more than half of total contract value will be spent within the UK economy over the life of the program. Harland & Wolff has committed to expanding its workforce by over 1,200 employees across Belfast, Appledore (Devon), Methil (Scotland), and Arnish facilities as part of long-term revitalization plans tied into future warship bids—including potential Type 32 frigates or MRSS platforms post-2030.
If successful, this hybrid build strategy could serve as a transitional model until full-spectrum sovereign naval construction capacity is restored domestically—a goal echoed by both government policy documents and industry roadmaps such as Maritime Enterprise Planning Group initiatives or National Shipbuilding Office benchmarks through 2035.
Conclusion: Balancing Capability Delivery with Industrial Recovery
The Royal Navy’s reliance on Spanish yards for initial FSS block construction highlights both urgent operational needs and structural industrial limitations within Britain’s naval base. While politically contentious, this approach enables timely fielding of critical logistics platforms while buying time for domestic yard revitalization efforts under broader national shipbuilding strategies.
If executed effectively—with knowledge transfer from Navantia feeding into upskilled British labor forces—the program may ultimately strengthen rather than weaken sovereign manufacturing resilience over time. But success hinges on sustained investment beyond this single project cycle.
