Harland and Wolff: Belfast shipyard and Spanish firm in naval bid

Image source, Rebecca Black/PA

  • Author, John Campbell
  • Role, 大象传媒 News NI Economics & Business Editor

The Belfast shipyard Harland & Wolff is to team up with the Spanish firm Navantia to bid for the contract to build UK naval support ships.

The Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme covers three logistics vessels.

Procurement of the ships was suspended last year but is due to restart in the coming months.

At the time of the suspension Navantia, one of Europe's largest shipbuilders with about 5,500 employees, was on a shortlist of two bidders.

A partnership with Harland and Wolff would help them if the new procurement process has a focus on "buying British".

The bid will also include the UK naval architects BMT with the partnership called Team Resolute.

John Wood, chief executive of Harland and Wolff's parent company InfraStrata, said the partnership had "the capability and credibility to disrupt the UK defence shipbuilding duopoly that currently exists".