The Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) visited Navantia UK’s largest facility, the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, to highlight their contract from the UK Ministry of Defence for the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme.
The FSS programme involves three replenishment vessels for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, which will serve the Royal Navy.
At first hand SMI members were able to tour the shipyard's £115 million investment programme, including the 5,000 square metre fabrication hall extension (as above). This is to house the facility’s new state-of-the-art panel line.
The tour by SMI at the Queen’s Island shipyard also showed the strengthening of UK defense capabilities, its modernization by Navantia, and the creation of opportunities for UK suppliers. In addition, it demonstrated how Navantia UK is building the future of sovereign UK shipbuilding.
Companies from across the UK's defense industrial base met Navantia’s growing apprentice cohort, which is now 170 strong following the arrival of 55 new apprentices who will work on the FSS programme, as Afloat reported in May, for the trio of naval replenishment vessels.
As a Sunday Times 'Top 100 UK Apprenticeships Employer,' Navantia UK is committed to creating 500 additional apprenticeships by 2030. It is a subsidiary of Navantia SA, a Spanish state-owned company with over 300 years of naval shipbuilding history.
