Steel Cutting Ceremony Officially Kicks off Construction of the First FSS Ship for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The traditional steel cutting ceremony was held at Navantia UK's Appledore shipyard in North Devon today, marking a significant achievement for the FSS program that is driving a £100m investment across Belfast and Appledore. The steel cutting ceremony, led by Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP, officially kicked off the start of the construction of the first FSS ship.
Commodore Sam Shattock, Head of Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service, revealed the name of the first ship as RFA Resurgent. The ceremony was attended by the Navantia UK workforce along with apprentices and representatives from Ministry of Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), the RFA, Royal Navy, government and industry. UK suppliers to the FSS program as well as local businesses supplying to the Appledore shipyard were also in attendance.
Each ship will be 216 meters long - the length of two Premier League football pitches - and will provide munitions, spares, food and other essential stores to naval vessels at sea. This new capability will enhance defense operations, ensuring the Royal Navy can remain at sea for prolonged periods without returning to port.
The three FSS vessels will be the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's modern solid stores replenishment ships, each measuring 216 meters in length – equivalent to two Premier League football pitches. They will be the largest UK military ships with the exception of aircraft carriers.
These ships will deliver vital supplies, munitions and provisions to Royal Navy warships while at sea, enhancing the UK’s carrier strike capability and supporting maritime security operations worldwide.
The FSS program represents a dual strategic objective: delivering critical operational capability through three next generation support ships whilst simultaneously rebuilding sovereign UK shipbuilding capacity through the modernization of UK yards, technology transfer to Navantia UK from the Navantia SA’s world-class Spanish shipyards, and workforce development.
