Key milestone reached for future Navy support ship as names of sister ships announced

• RFA Resurgent, the first of three new Fleet Solid Support ships, begins to take shape with keel laying as names for sister ships, RFA Reliant and RFA Resourceful, are announced.
• The Fleet Solid Support programme is expected to create around 1,200 UK shipyard jobs and hundreds of apprenticeships, boosting sovereign shipbuilding in Navantia UK's Appledore and Belfast shipyards.
• RFA Resurgent is due to enter service in the early 2030s, supporting Royal Navy vessels at sea including carrier strike group operations.

The Royal Navy's ability to operate further and for longer at sea took a step forward today, as a key milestone was reached in the build of the first of its future solid support ship fleet. 

RFA Resurgent, the first-in-class of three new Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships being delivered to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), had her keel laid today. Held at Navantia UK's Appledore shipyard, the keel laying ceremony marked the point at which RFA Resurgent's structure formally begins to take shape. The names of her sister ships, RFA Reliant and RFA Resourceful, were also announced during the ceremony by the Head of the RFA, Commodore Sam Shattock.

The FSS programme will see around £100M invested into Navantia UK's shipyards in Belfast and Appledore, Devon - creating 1,200 jobs and hundreds of apprenticeships and supporting reindustrialisation. 

Once in service, RFA Resurgent and her two sister ships will deliver munitions, spares, food and other essential supplies to Royal Navy vessels at sea, allowing the fleet to remain deployed for longer, including in support of carrier strike group operations. 

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.

A specially commissioned coin was placed within the ship's structure and will be presented to the Captain and crew when the ship is ready to sail - in keeping with tradition. 

Each ship will have a core RFA crew of 101, with accommodation provided for an additional 80 personnel operating helicopters, boats, or performing other roles when required. Delivery of the first Fleet Solid Support ship is on track, with RFA Resurgent expected to enter service with the RFA in the early 2030s. 

Commodore Sam Shattock, Head of the RFA, 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." 

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. 

Donato Martínez, CEO of Navantia UK, said:  

"Today's keel laying marks the formal start of assembly of the first Fleet Solid Support ship and an important moment for Appledore, where shipbuilding has returned to a yard with more than 170 years of history.  

FSS is rebuilding sovereign industrial capability in the UK, creating skilled jobs, developing apprentices and strengthening the supply chain for future naval programmes, including the autonomous and uncrewed platforms of the future Hybrid Navy.  

This milestone shows what sustained investment and close partnership between government and industry can deliver, and we are focused on maintaining that momentum as the first ship takes shape." 

This programme forms part of the Government's Defence Investment Plan and its wider £298 billion investment in Defence.