Navantia and Tenix to Build Two Amphibious Ships for the Royal Australian Navy

Released on Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Prime Minister, John Howard, Minister of Defence, Brendan Nelson and the Australian shipyard, Tenix, have signed on 9 October in Melbourne, in presence of Juan Pedro Gómez Jaén, CEO of Navantia, as the main partner, the contract for which the Spanish company will build for the Royal Australian Navy, 2 amphibious ships, very similar to the LHD that Navantia is currently building for the Spanish Navy.

The Spanish offer for the construction of these ships is based in the LHD, currently under construction, and was selected over the French company Armaris offer, because it completely fitted the Royal Australian Navy requirements.

The contract reaches 1,411.6 million euros, being 915 million euros for Navantia 900, that includes the design and construction of the ships, as well as some equipment as engines and platform control system, that will be provided by Navantia. It means for Navantia a great amount of work hours, around 9,5 million.

This contract, together with the destroyers contract, signed last 4th. October, was announced last June and will make of Navantia the reference naval designer and shipbuilder in the world. Both contracts mean a very important milestone for Navantia, as its biggest export operation in the history, reaching 1,200 million euros.

The CEO of Navantia, Juan Pedro Gómez feels "deeply proud" and status "it is the result of the constant work of all Navantia staff, that makes us have in the market technollogically superior products". As well, he "thanks the Spanish government for the absolute support for such an important transaction".