Navantia UK busca liderar un pedido de 7.000 millones de la Royal Navy

Navantia UK has taken a bold step by publicly applying to lead the construction and delivery of floating pontoon program for the Royal Navy's Methil, Fife and Belfast shipyards. Their UK-based director, Donato Martínez, explained that the contract could help retain 2,000 jobs and create opportunities in the supply chain. This move comes after British Chancellor John Healey announced a £6 billion (€7 billion) plan for the Royal Navy, including the construction of three floating pontoons, during his annual party conference in Liverpool.

Healey emphasized that only British companies could bid for the tenders. Navantia UK, a Spanish-owned subsidiary, considers itself a wholly British company. The company has invested £157 million (£183 million) in modernizing and recapitalizing its assets since purchasing four shipyards in Belfast last year, increasing its workforce by 25% to 1,300 employees.

They have already begun building three auxiliary vessels for the Royal Navy at a cost of £2 billion (£2.3 billion). The floating pontoon program is part of a larger £15 billion plan to revamp Royal Navy facilities. London aims to ensure all defense contracts are awarded to British companies, aligning with the strategy to reindustrialize the economy.

The Royal Navy has committed to spending 3% of its GDP on defense by 2030, with a goal of reaching 3.5% by 2035.