Navantia cuts steel on first UK FSS ship

Steel-cutting for RFA Resurgent , the first of the UKʼs three new Fleet Solid Support ships, on 3 December 2025, at Navantia UKʼs Appledore shipyard in North Devon. (Navantia UK)

A steel-cutting ceremony has been held for the UKʼs first Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ship for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).

The steel-cutting for the first of the class of the three FSS vessels, RFA Resurgent , was begun at Navantia UKʼs Appledore shipyard in North Devon on 3 December.

The bulk of construction for the 216 m-long vessels will take place at Navantia UKʼs Harland & Wolff yard in Belfast.

They are intended to provide at-sea resupply of munitions, spares, food, and other essential stores.

Navantia won the GBP1.6 billion (USD2.1 billion) FSS contract in January 2023 as prime contractor in the Team Resolute consortium (with BMT and Harland & Wolff). Navantia, through its subsidiary Navantia UK, completed its acquisition of the struggling Harland & Wolff, whose shipyards were in Belfast, Appledore, and Arnish on Scotlandʼs west coast, and Methil on its east coast, in January 2025. It gave mid-section construction and final assembly of the vessels to the Harland & Wolff yard. The Appledore yard will construct the bow sections of the vessels, composed of three blocks.

Investment into Harland & Wolff includes installation of robotic plasma cutters, a fully mechanised flat panel line, and automated quality control systems. Navantia UK added that delivery systems, stockyard management, and digital integration are also progressing. In Appledore, investment includes new roofing and a new plasma cutter, used in the steel-cutting.