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• Represent the return to military shipbuilding for the Spanish Navy after 8 years
• They will generate 1,350 direct and indirect jobs in Ferrol and San Fernando
• Mr. Revuelta highlights that Navantia is consolidating its transformation process for becoming more competitive and sustainable, and that military shipbuilding continues being the basis for the future of the Company

NAVANTIA has celebrated today the laying of the keels of the two Offshore Patrol Vessels (BAM in Spanish) for the Spanish Ministry of Defense. Both landmarks took place simultaneously at the San Fernando’s and Ferrol’s shipyards, where the 5th and 6th vessels are being built, respectively. It is envisaged that the launch of both vessels takes place in the first half of 2017.

The order for implementing the extension of the BAM program was signed on December 2014, and it means the return of NAVANTIA to military shipbuilding for the Spanish Navy, after a hiatus of more than 8 years.

This order means 2.2 Million hours of work for both the personnel of the shipbuilder and for the ancillary industry. During the construction period around 1,350 direct and indirect jobs will be generated. Of them, more than 250 would be direct jobs of NAVANTIA and more than 1,050 jobs in the ancillary industry and from other suppliers.

It guarantees the continuity of the program began in 2006

NAVANTIA’s Chairman, Mr. José Manuel Revuelta, pointed out that “with this extension of two further vessels for the first batch the Company not only recovers the orders from the Ministry of Defense, but also it guarantees the continuity of the BAM program began in August 2006”.

With regard to the Company’s situation, he stated that “the situation of the workload has changed, and it is consolidating its transformation process for becoming a competitive and sustainable shipbuilding company, basically military but also civil, international and capable of diversifying its production”.

Improvement on the series

These two vessels are part of the extension of the first BAMs series, and they will join the other four existing units from 2018, and they will include all the measures regarding the MARPOL regulations on environmental protection, such as the new propulsion, ancillary and emergency engines, as well as the TAR plant for waste water treatment.

Also, it will include improvements focused on reducing its weight, new equipment resulting from the obsolescence, fittings for a larger crew, and it will apply the current legislation about risk prevention and safe operating.

It is a midsized vessel, highly capable, very versatile with regard to the missions it can perform, with a high communality level with other vessels of the Spanish Navy, and with a reduced purchase price and maintenance cost.

Its main missions are as follows:

• Protecting and escorting other ships
• Controlling sea traffic
• Controlling and neutralizing terrorist and pirate attacks
• Operating against drug and persons trafficking
• Maritime search and rescue operations
• Supporting crisis and human relief operations
• Controlling the enforcement of fishing legislation
• Controlling the enforcement of the environmental and pollutant prevention legislation

Main characteristics:

• Weight when fully loaded: 2,765 Tons
• Length: 939 meters
• Beam: 14.2 meters
• Height: 7.2 meters

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 which includes a total of 16 state-owned companies in which it has direct, majority shareholding participations, with a workforce of around 73,000 professionals in 2014; 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 ten companies, and indirect shareholdings in more than one hundred companies.