Al Jubail , the first Avante 2200-class corvette built by Navantia for the RSNF, arrives at King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 25 August. (SAMI)
The first Al Jubail Avante 2200-class corvette on order for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) has arrived in-country, marking an important milestone for the programme.
Al Jubail (828) arrived at King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 25 August, the Saudi Press Agency announced the same day.
AlJubail is the first of the five 104 m corvettes being built by Spanish state-owned shipbuilder Navantia for the RSNF under a EUR1.8 billion (USD1.79 billion) contract signed in 2018.
The lead ship was laid down at Navantia's shipyard in San Fernando, Cádiz, in October 2019, launched in July 2020, and officially handed over to the RSNF during a ceremony held in Spain on 31 March. Its delivery was followed by that of second-in-class Al Diriyah (830) on 26 July. Under current planning, delivery of all five ships will be completed by 2024.
The Al Jubail-class design is based on the earlier Avante 2200 ships built by Navantia for Venezuela and adapted to fulfil RSNF requirements. Modifications include a 4 m hull stretch, an expanded combat system and armament suite, and adaptations to enable operations in the extreme temperatures of the Gulf. It has a top speed of 27 kt, a standard range of 3,500 n miles at 12 kt, and can accommodate 102 personnel.
AlJubail
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