SEPI Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales

• NAVANTIA’s Chairman points out “the capability exhibited in the transfer of technology and in competing at a very high level, all of which constitutes an instance of the Spain Brand”

Today has taken place the delivery of the HMAS Hobart destroyer to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in a ceremony in Sidney, which was chaired by the Australian Prime Minister, Mr. Malcolm Turnbull. The vessel has a fully-Spanish design, and besides NAVANTIA has managed its construction at the Adelaide’s shipyard.

NAVANTIA’s Chairman, Mr. Esteban García Vilasánchez pointed out that “the delivery of this vessel constitutes a landmark for NAVANTIA, and it is a clear instance of the Company’s ability in the field of transfer of technology and for working on complex international programs”.

“Today is an extremely important day for our company – he added – since after a decades-long effort on development, we show that we are able to export and compete at a very high level”. Furthermore, he highlighted that this achievement “is a clear instance of the Spain Brand“.

The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister, Mr. Malcolm Turnbull; by the Minister of Defense, Ms. Maryse Payne; by the Minister for the Defense Industry, Mr. Christopher Pyne, and by the Head of the RAN, Admiral Tim Barret. The later recognized “the important work carried out by the Spanish shipyard”.

This is the first vessel of the three of the same class which are being built in Australia, and it joins the range of vessels which have been designed and built by NAVANTIA for Australia, thus consolidating the Spanish company as the main designer for surface vessels for the RAN. Besides this ship, NAVANTIA has built two landing helicopter decks (LHDs), twelve LHD Landing Crafts (LLC). Furthermore, it is currently building in Australia two further Hobart-class vessels, and in Spain two auxiliary oiler and replenishment vessels (AORL).

The vessel, wholly designed by the Spanish company, is based on the F-100 – class “Alvaro de Bazán” of the Spanish Navy, and it provides to the RAN with significant antiaircraft and antisubmarine warfare capabilities. The Hobart-class vessels are being built at the shipyard in Southern Adelaide by the alliance made up by local shipyard ASC, the combat systems integrator Raytheon, and the Australian Government. For its part, NAVANTIA provides the design and the management for the construction of the ships, as well as a significant amount of equipment and systems.

NAVANTIA’s Australian subsidiary has played a key role in the program’s development during the last few years, leading the construction stage of the three vessels. That is why, NAVANTIA wants to thank the trust put on the company, and it is committed to continue providing its support to the development of the RAN’s capabilities, especially to the SEA 5000 program for the construction of nine frigates, to which NAVANTIA has submitted a bid. In this sense, the persons in charge at NAVANTIA have stressed that the Spanish offer for this program, the biggest for surface vessels promoted by Australia, is very sound, since it is based on the vessel delivered today and on the experience obtained by NAVANTIA in the course of the 10 years since it began to work in Australia.

The outstanding place reached by NAVANTIA in Australia constitutes one of the pillars of the Strategic Plan developed by the company which, together with its shareholder, SEPI, is currently promoting as a tool for guaranteeing NAVANTIA’s future competitiveness and sustainability.

About NAVANTIA:

NAVANTIA constitutes a world reference in the design, construction and integration of warships with a high-technological content, as well as ship repairs and upgrades. Besides, its activity lines include the design and manufacturing of combat and command and control systems, integrated platform management systems, firing control systems, propulsion engines and the Life Cycle Support for all its products. Although its main activity is in the naval field, NAVANTIA also designs and manufactures systems for the Army and the Air Force.

NAVANTIA belongs to Grupo SEPI, a corporate holding made up by a total of 15 state-owned companies in which it has direct, majority shareholding participations, with a workforce of almost 73,000 professionals in 2016; the Spanish state-owned television and radio corporation, Corporación Radiotelevisión Española, which is attached to SEPI, and one public foundation. Equally, SEPI has direct minority shareholdings in a further 9 companies, as well as indirect ones in more than another 100 companies.