Industry Minister visits Harland & Wolff following Defence Investment Plan confirmation of key naval programmes
The visit gave the Minister an opportunity to see first-hand the industrial capability being rebuilt in Belfast, where Navantia UK is delivering major recapitalisation works and building three supply ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary under the £1.6 billion Fleet Solid Support contract.
During the visit, the Minister toured the yard, viewed new and upgraded facilities, and received updates on the Fleet Solid Support programme, recruitment, apprenticeships and Navantia UK’s wider investment across its four UK yards.
The Defence Investment Plan underlines the strategic importance of sustaining sovereign defence capability, strengthening the UK’s maritime industrial base and delivering the future fleet needed for national resilience, the Continuous At-Sea Deterrent and the future hybrid navy.
Navantia UK believes there is now a significant opportunity to move quickly from confirmation into delivery planning, ensuring that the industrial capacity currently being rebuilt across UK shipyards is sustained through clear timelines, rapid mobilisation and close partnership between Government, the Royal Navy, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and industry.
At Harland & Wolff, the Fleet Solid Support programme is progressing on time and on budget, while bringing state-of-the-art technology, highly skilled jobs and apprenticeships to Northern Ireland.
As part of the tour, the Minister viewed major recapitalisation works across the Belfast shipyard, including an expanded fabrication hall, a mechanised panel line and robotic cutting equipment. He also saw Harland & Wolff’s iconic yellow Samson and Goliath cranes, which have recently been maintained and refurbished as part of the wider modernisation of the site.
The Minister was briefed on progress on the Fleet Solid Support programme, under which three 39,000-tonne supply vessels are being built for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
Employment across Navantia UK’s four shipyards Appledore, Arnish, Belfast and Methil, now stands at 1,200, with 250 jobs created since acquisition in January 2025. Of those new jobs, 165 are in Belfast. Navantia UK was also recently named as one of the UK’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for the second year in a row.
The company is committed to working with firms close to its yards and ensuring major defence programmes deliver tangible benefits for local economies. In Northern Ireland, Cleary Contracting of Antrim holds a civil works contract worth approximately £10 million, supporting around 50 jobs and representing close to a fifth of that company’s annual turnover. Balloo Hire in Belfast and Wilson Utilities of Lisburn are among other local firms engaged under the programme.
Donato Martínez, CEO of Navantia UK, said:
“We were very pleased to welcome the Minister for Industry to Harland & Wolff so soon after the publication of the Defence Investment Plan.
“The Plan confirms the importance of key naval programmes for national security, sovereign defence capability and the future of the UK’s maritime industrial base. The task now is to move quickly from ambition to delivery.
“The Fleet Solid Support programme shows what that can mean in practice. It has breathed new life into Harland & Wolff. We are transforming the Belfast yard into one of the most modern shipbuilding facilities in Europe, bringing in advanced technology, expanding production capability and creating skilled jobs and apprenticeships in Northern Ireland.
“That is the benefit, on the ground, that a major defence contract can deliver. It supports sovereign capability, strengthens the UK’s industrial base and generates work for businesses large and small across the local supply chain.
“The Fleet Solid Support programme cannot be a one-off. To maximise the benefit of the significant investment already made, we need clear timelines, rapid mobilisation and close partnership between Government, the Royal Navy, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and industry.
“Navantia UK stands ready to support delivery at pace, in the United Kingdom.”
Chris McDonald MP, Minister for Industry, said:
“I’ve been really impressed by the investment Navantia has made here at Harland & Wolff. The new automated line is one of the most productive and impressive shipyard lines I’ve seen. The Fleet Solid Support programme is a real collaboration across Navantia’s yards, and it’s exciting that we’ll soon see these vessels assembled here in the dry dock.
“Navantia’s investment in new equipment, local businesses and the wider supply chain is creating real momentum, bringing the shipyard back to life and delivering a significant boost for the Northern Ireland economy.”
Alongside major naval programmes, Navantia UK is also investing in the next generation of maritime capability, including autonomous and digitally enabled systems designed to support the future hybrid navy envisaged in the Strategic Defence Review.
Navantia UK looks forward to continued engagement with the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Business and Trade, the Royal Navy, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and wider stakeholders as next steps are determined.
