Saudi Arabia is poised to purchase five Avante 2200 corvette patrol vessels from Navantia, a Spanish state-owned shipbuilding company, which offers its services to both military and civil sectors.



According to IHS Jane the contract for the five supercars could cost as much as $3.3 billion. It is expected to be signed during King Philip VI’s official visit to Riyadh which begins on November 12, according to Spanish News Today.



According to IHS Jane, the Corvettes appear to be for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF)’s Eastern Fleet. Previously, in 2015, Riyadh had held talks with American aerospace and defence company Lockheed Martin over the purchase of six military vessels – including four 3,500-ton “frigate-like warships”, also for its Eastern Fleet.



However, Riyadh is said to have baulked at the $11.25 billion price tag placed by the US State Department, leading to a search for alternatives.



Initial approval from Riyadh for the purchase of five Avante 2200 corvettes from Navantia was reached in February this year.



While it remains unclear what precise role the Spanish vessels are set to play within the RSNF, the QUWA Defence & Analysis Group has noted that the corvettes could be equipped for anti-ship warfare and anti-air warfare purposes, while also possessing a flight deck and hangar with the capacity to hold one 10-tonne utility helicopter.



The ongoing sale of military hardware to Saudi Arabia by Western states has been vociferously criticised by rights groups who have pointed to the use of such equipment in deadly attacks on civilians in Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in Yemen.



A deadly airstrike, committed by a Suadi-led coalition of Arab states, on a funeral in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on October 8 killed 140 people and wounded a further 500. The incident attracted widespread condemnation with local reports pointing to the discovery of US manufactured munitions at the site of the attack.



The US is the largest supplier of military hardware to Saudi Arabia, followed by the UK, and France.



Members of Saudi Arabia’s royal family have expressed excitement about the potential purchase with one member, minor royal Sattam bin Khalid bin Nasser, writing on Twitter in September: “Spanish company “Navantia” is confident of signing in the coming months a contract with Saudi Arabia to build five Corvettes.”

Translation: Spanish company “Navantia” is confident of signing in the coming months a contract with Saudi Arabia to build five (Avante 2200) Corvettes.