Landmark milestone marks formal start of assembly for RFA Resurgent, the first of three new
Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ships
Appledore, 3 September 2026: Navantia UK has laid the keel of RFA Resurgent at its Appledore shipyard in
North Devon, marking the formal start of assembly of the first of three new Fleet Solid Support vessels for
the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
The milestone was marked by the lowering of the first block, a section of RFA Resurgent’s bow, onto the
Seahorse barge in Appledore’s dry dock. The barge, built at Navantia UK’s Methil yard in Fife, will carry
completed blocks from Appledore to Belfast. In keeping with shipbuilding tradition, a commemorative coin
was placed beneath the section for good fortune.
During the ceremony, Commodore Shattock also revealed the names of the second and third Fleet Solid
Support vessels: RFA Reliant and RFA Resourceful.
The operation was initiated by apprentices from Navantia UK Appledore and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary,
reflecting the central role that skills and the next generation of shipbuilders and seafarers will play in
delivering the programme. The ceremony took place on Merchant Navy Day, which celebrates the UK’s civilian seafarers, including the men and women of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
The keel laying represents the latest major milestone for Fleet Solid Support, following the start of test block
construction at Appledore in August 2025, completion of the Critical Design Review in October 2025 and the
cutting of first steel at Appledore in December 2025.
Since the programme began in 2023, it has remained on schedule and on budget while progressing through
a series of major design and construction milestones.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP said:
“The Royal Fleet Auxiliary are the backbone of our Royal Navy and these new ships will keep our navy ready
to operate at range for longer.
“Seeing the steel cut for RFA Resurgent last year was a proud moment, and today’s keel laying shows real
momentum behind this vital programme.
“This investment is helping bolster UK shipbuilding, backing thousands of skilled jobs and apprenticeships in
Appledore, Belfast and beyond.”
Donato Martínez, CEO of Navantia UK, said:
“Today is an important moment for Fleet Solid Support, for Appledore and for the renewal of UK shipbuilding.
The laying of the keel marks the formal start of assembly of the first ship and is clear evidence of the
momentum we have built across the programme.
“FSS is helping to rebuild sovereign industrial capability in the UK. We are investing in shipyards, creating
skilled jobs, developing apprentices and strengthening the supply chain that will support future naval
programmes.
“At Appledore, shipbuilding has returned to a yard with more than 170 years of history. We are investing in
its facilities and its people, while building the capability needed not only for FSS but for the next generation
of naval vessels, including the autonomous and uncrewed platforms that will form part of the future Hybrid
Navy.
“This milestone demonstrates what sustained investment and close partnership between government and
industry can deliver. We are proud of the progress being made and focused on maintaining that momentum
as the first FSS ship takes shape.”
The three Fleet Solid Support ships will provide munitions, stores and provisions to Royal Navy task groups at sea, enabling ships including the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers to remain deployed for longer and
operate at greater distance from their home ports.
At around 39,000 tonnes and 216 metres long, the vessels will be the largest ships in UK military service after the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.
Construction of ship modules is now taking place at Navantia UK’s Appledore yard, along with its Harland &
Wolff shipyard in Belfast and Navantia’s yards in Spain. Final assembly, integration and trials of the ships will
take place at their Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast.
Commodore Sam Shattock, Commodore Royal Fleet Auxiliary, said:
“Today’s keel laying marks another important step in the delivery of RFA Resurgent and the wider Fleet Solid
Support programme. Seeing construction progress here in Appledore demonstrates the momentum behind
a project that will provide the Royal Fleet Auxiliary with world-class capabilities to sustain Royal Navy
operations across the globe.
”The commemorative coin placed beneath the keel continues a proud maritime tradition, linking this modern
programme with generations of shipbuilders and seafarers who have gone before us. I am delighted that
apprentices from both Navantia UK and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary have been part of this occasion, representing the future of UK shipbuilding and the future of the RFA.”
The milestone also marks a significant moment in the regeneration of Appledore, which is undertaking its first
shipbuilding activity since the completion of the Irish Naval Service offshore patrol vessel LÉ George Bernard
Shaw in 2019.
Navantia UK is delivering an investment programme of around £15 million at Appledore, including a new roof,
plasma-cutting equipment and a new pipe shop, as part of more than £157 million being invested across the
company’s four UK yards, which together employ around 1,300 people.
The Appledore workforce has grown to 210 people, including 40 apprentices, with a further 20 apprentices
starting this week as part of an intake of 121 new apprentices across Navantia UK. The yard works closely with nearby North Devon College to develop the skilled workforce required for future programmes.
The programme is also supporting businesses throughout the local and national supply chain. North Devon
based Wellington Welding, for example, supplies welding equipment and consumables to the yard as well as
providing on-site testing services.
Another supplier supporting the project is Somerset-headquartered firm Denholm Industrial Services.
Steve Hill, Managing Director of Denholm Industrial Services, said:
“Denholm Industrial Services is proud to support Navantia UK on the Fleet Solid Support programme. We are
already building on our early work, from providing scaffolding and painting support for the Seahorse barge in
Appledore, to supporting major reroofing works in Belfast.
”We share Navantia UK’s drive, ambition, investment and commitment and are focused on supporting
delivery of the FSS programme for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary to the highest standards. We look forward to
continuing our partnership with Navantia UK on FSS and beyond, helping to deliver lasting benefits for the
wider UK maritime sector.”
Appledore has a long history of naval and commercial shipbuilding dating back to 1855 and previously
constructed bow sections for the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Under Navantia UK, the yard is being developed as a specialist centre for vessels of up to approximately 125 metres, including
autonomous and uncrewed platforms.
Navantia UK has already developed its LASV75 concept for the Royal Navy’s future Hybrid Navy. The 75-metre, ocean-going autonomous support vessel is designed around modular mission systems and rapid, scalable construction. The concept has been developed with Appledore’s facilities and capabilities in mind.
