Navantia UK has positioned its Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast to build the new fleet of amphibious transport ships announced under the UK-Netherlands maritime partnership, with the government yet to name the yards that will construct the vessels.
The company issued a statement welcoming the £2.4 billion agreement signed by Prime Ministers Keir Starmer and Rob Jetten at the NATO summit in Ankara, under which British and Dutch forces will each operate four of the 160-metre, 15,000-tonne ships, built in UK shipyards to a Dutch design alongside Dutch industry.
Donato Martinez, Chief Executive of Navantia UK, said:
“Amphibious transport ships will be a vital component of Britain’s sovereign naval defence capability going forward. As outlined in the Defence Investment Plan, they will enable troops to be deployed around the world and are a necessary replacement for the Albion-class assault ships. The UK Government’s maritime partnership with the Netherlands is a logical step, enabling two NATO allies to work together both in the planning stage and in the deployment of naval force.”
The pitch for Belfast was direct, he said: “Navantia UK’s Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast gives the UK a proven, sovereign capability to build these vessels. Recapitalised with investment of more than £98.5 million, it is now one of the most advanced shipbuilding facilities in Europe,” Martinez said. “Navantia UK is fully committed to supporting this programme and stands ready to work with the UK and Dutch governments alongside other partners to deliver this 21st century naval capability.”
The UK Defence Journal understands there is capability in Belfast to build the amphibious transport ships featured in the government’s announcement.
Navantia UK, the British arm of the Spanish state-owned shipbuilder, acquired Harland and Wolff’s four yards at Belfast, Appledore, Methil and Arnish at the start of 2025 after the company entered administration, and Belfast is already building the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s three Fleet Solid Support ships under the Team Resolute programme, the contract that anchored the yard’s rescue. A successful bid for the amphibious ships would add a second major naval programme to the order book of a yard that, before Team Resolute, had not built a warship in decades, and would keep Belfast loaded beyond the solid support ships, the first of which is expected in service in the early 2030s.
The government’s announcement stated the ships will be built in UK shipyards but named no builder, schedule or contract structure, and Navantia’s statement is the first public positioning by a British yard owner for the work. Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard told the Commons on Monday that the ambition is for the first ship to enter service in the 2030s, with the vessels replacing the amphibious capability lost when HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark were retired in late 2024, a link Martinez’s statement draws explicitly in describing the new ships as a necessary replacement for the Albion class.
Pretty good for Belfast, biggest gripe with this is going to be having to wait until the mid 2030’s to get the first ship. Can the Bays keep going that long?