Ricardo Dominguez Garcia-Baquero
CEO, Navantia
For over 300 years, Navantia has been a beacon in shipbuilding, strengthening the Spanish brand on the global stage and enhancing Spanish exports and foreign investment. Over the past decade, it has exported €10 billion worth of solutions to clients and partners around the world. “The capacities of Navantia in so many different fields, from Combat Management Systems to advanced submarines, naval guns, submarine warfare, integration of unmanned systems, ship maintenance, and the possibility of transfer of technology in many of those areas make Navantia a natural, trustworthy partner and perfect fit for the necessities of the Philippine Navy,” said Ricardo Dominguez Garcia-Baquero, CEO, Navantia. In an interview with Aeromag, he discussed the company’s participation in ADAS 2024, its major interests in the Philippines and South Asia, its growth, products, and future plans.
Navantia has a rich history dating back to 1717. How has the company evolved over the centuries to adapt to changing times and industry requirements globally? Could you highlight some major milestones in Navantia’s development?
Navantia has a long experience designing and building warships including frigates and patrol vessels since 1720. That is more than 300 years of shipbuilding history! The modern company as it is known today, has evolved to become a turnkey supplier able to go through all design, build, commission, and life cycle support phases, positioning Navantia to assist any navy and international shipbuilders with a wide range of Transfer of Technology solutions.
Our latest delivery of frigates to Saudi Arabia, for example, includes a real and solid Transfer of Knowledge and Technology both to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) as well as to the local Saudi industry. This transfer has generated hundreds of new in-country highly skilled jobs together with the creation of a Saudi-Spanish joint-venture company.
Being a government owned company has enabled Navantia to transfer sensitive technologies to Saudi Arabia that has allowed them to develop their own maintenance programs and Combat Management System which is very important to keep the national independence of a high technological military necessity. Of course, all those programmes include their corresponding operational and maintenance training from the Spanish Navy to the RSNF.
Other recent successful deliveries of surface ships include the Royal Australian Navy´s Hobart Class Anti Air destroyer and the Norwegian Navy´s Fridtjof Nansen class frigates.
Collaboration and strategic partnerships are central to Navantia’s approach. Can you discuss the company’s key synergies with national companies, SEPI group entities, and international partners? What are some of the significant collaborations currently underway?
Navantia is 100% owned by the Sociedad Española de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI), attached to the Spanish Ministry of Finance. It has contracts with Governments and companies around the world, as well as collaboration programmes with universities and technological and academic centres. Industrial cooperation is a key element for the company that allows the integration of the best-of-class equipment available today, as well as a great and solid supply chain that facilitates the Transfer of Technology and the life cycle support.
Navantia has wide experience in collaborations, currently in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Australia, or the UK. In these countries, it has developed a specific industrial plan and has been executed resulting in a remarkable increase of the local industry and technological ecosystem in the client country.
Navantia has achieved notable success in exports, totaling €10 billion over the past decade. How has the company’s export activity evolved during this period, and what factors have contributed to this growth?
Navantia is focused on the internationalization as one of its strategic basis and has developed in the last year a net of branches around the world, to understand and support the client from the beginning to the finalization of the programs. Navantia has established government joint ventures in Saudi Arabia (Sami Navantia) as a result of the successful corvette program. Navantia has also created subsidiary companies such as Navantia Arabia, Navantia Australia or Navantia UK and a network of commercial offices in Canada, Norway, Turkey, India, and Thailand. We believe that the immersion in the client´s culture is the key factor of the success in international business.
Following the success of the F-100 frigate, the new F-110 model continues Navantia’s leadership in frigate design and construction. Could you describe the unique features of the F-110 and how it aligns with the Smart Ship concept?
Certainly, Navantia is now the most innovative shipyard in the construction of frigates and the F-110 frigate is a technological leap forward. The F-110 frigates are multi-purpose escort ships, with anti-aircraft, anti-surface, and anti-submarine capabilities to perform their force protection and naval power projection roles. They will operate in combination with other units, and they are versatile platforms that can also perform functions related to maritime security and support to civilian authorities. It is a smart ship designed as part of a digital ecosystem that optimizes design, construction, operation, and maintenance activities in a cybersafe environment. The Digital Twin is a virtual replica of the ship that constantly receives information from the vessel, data permanently supplied by a network of sensors distributed throughout the ship, constituting a cyber-physical system that through the use of behavioral models and technologies such as Cloud Computing, Machine Learning and the Internet of Things (IoT) allows to support its maintenance and operation even thousands of miles away through the Digital Twin deployed ashore as it is already in use by the Spanish Navy.
Navantia has a long-standing relationship with India and Southeast Asian countries. How do you view this partnership, and what are the key ongoing projects? Are there any new projects in the pipeline?
Yes, in all these countries the key to success has always started with a proper understanding and respect for the culture and customs of the local clients, authorities, and institutions. Within this mindset we believe that the application of proven frameworks already put in action and resulting in successful businesses like in Saudi Arabia and Australia are based on the incidence of the local industry and development of the local technology.
For example, in the Philippines, we believe that we can provide a solution for the frigates program by including full maintenance that can be carried out by the local industry. To achieve that, we are open to providing a Transfer of Knowledge that will allow the local industry to provide such maintenance, and therefore, the local industry will benefit from new skilled job positions and from the incorporation of new technologies that could attract new investors to the country. Navantia is fully committed to the Philippines and the “Make in the Philippines” philosophy.
In the Philippines, we are also providing our long experience in designing and manufacturing naval systems, both mission systems (such as combat, communications, and navigation systems) and platform systems (including diesel engines and generators, gearboxes, and integrated platform management systems). Some of these systems are manufactured and supplied under licence from world-leading OEMs, like 35mm rapid fire Air Defence Close-In Weapons Systems for the Navy and Revolving Gun Short Range Air Defence
Systems for the Air Force, Army, and Marines. Transfer of Knowledge and Technology can be provided for all these systems so that they can be maintained throughout their service life by local workers in the Philippines that is normally activated by means of a very comprehensive programme that has already been very successful in other countries, as mentioned before.
The S-80 submarines represent a significant achievement as an advanced, conventional ocean-going submarine built entirely in Spain. Can you elaborate on the unique features and capabilities of the S-80?
Navantia has designed and built the S-80 submarine, which is the most advanced oceanic long range conventional submarine available today. Its low-speed stability and depth control are outstanding and at the same time allow for good manoeuvrability thus ensuring safe navigation in shallow waters like the waters of the Philippines. The design follows an open systems architecture using standardized technical regulations adopted by manufacturers worldwide and therefore, allowing a low risk in COTS replacements.
With a speed of more than 19 knots, and a deep diving depth (DDD) of more than 300 meters, it can remain submerged for weeks allowing operations of more than 60 days and ranges of more than 7.000 nautical miles. Its oceanic mission profile enhanced by the highly safe third-generation air-independent propulsion system (AIP) known as BEST (Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology). The BEST AIP has a very dense energy source which provides more than 3 times the usual submersed times than those of fossil AIPs and it cannot be traced by underwater fossil fuel sniffers.
Advances in automatization have allowed the necessary crew for this submarine can be reduced to just 32 members (although it has accommodation for a crew of 40 which can be suitable for Special Forces or trainees)
It is capable of deploying torpedoes, missiles, and mines and performing a wide variety of missions. Its Tomahawk missile capacity would provide the best and maximum protection for the Philippines, due to its geopolitical features.
The S-80 submarine has been specified and proven by the Spanish Navy with great success, with first-of-class SPS Isaac Peral (S81) successfully performing its sea trials. Its name is a tribute to Spanish engineer and sailor Isaac Peral who designed and built the first fully military-capable diesel-electric submarine in 1888 starting a tradition of over 130 years of submarine-building experience. Since then and in the last 100 years, more than 40 submarines have been delivered to the Spanish Navy as well as to the Chilean, Malaysian, and Indian navies under co-production contracts.
The S-80 program is not a program of the Spanish Defence industry but the commitment of a nation. Navantia and the Spanish Navy work together in the design, construction, and commission of the submarines with a joint program office for their maintenance and planning for future upgrades.
The procurement of this advanced submarine by the Philippines would come with a comprehensive suite of Transfer of Knowledge and Technology in a similar manner as for the Saudi frigates but also, and very importantly, including the establishment of a new submarine flotilla and naval base with training and maintenance facilities to be managed locally and therefore, generating thousands of local highly skilled jobs. A potential candidate location to build this Submarine Base according to our studies and research would be in Ormoc, Leyte.
What are your expectations for ADAS 2024? Could you provide insights into any standout products or technologies Navantia plans to showcase at the event?
Yes, Navantia has a firm intention to provide the Philippines with its best products that are most suitable for the national defence. In that order, Navantia has brought to ADAS-Manila the following remarkable systems to be specifically displayed to the Philippine Navy:
CIWS (Close-In Weapons System). This is a very advanced and effective self-defense system against air projectiles/vehicles for middle sized ships as well as it doubles as a light surface offensive system which was approved by the Philippine Secretary of Defence for the modernization of new corvettes and frigates of the Philippine Navy. This system is obviously also suitable for short range land-based air defence systems (SHORAD).
S80 Submarine. As commented before, due to the geostrategic position of the Philippines and its multitude of choke points, we support the general opinion that the country needs a powerful submarine capacity. The S-80 is the perfect answer to the necessities of the Philippine Navy and would provide a top-level service for many decades to come. Alpha 3000 frigate. This is one of the most modern and advanced light frigates available today. It has already been delivered in its AVT 2200 version to the Royal Saudi Navy with a huge degree of success and satisfaction from the client and within a record-breaking short delivery schedule.
Underwater action/detection systems. In this area we are offering submarine detection, control, and action systems with our subsidiary SAES. For example, the Ocean sentinel smart buoy for detection and monitoring of underwater vehicles and the Diver Detection Sonar for the detection of underwater activity provide together a full protection layer of chokepoints and/or coastal infrastructures.
Looking ahead, what are Navantia’s strategic priorities and goals for the future, particularly in terms of growth, market expansion, and export ambitions?
The goal of Navantia is to become a technological partner of the Philippine Navy. The capacities of Navantia in so many different fields, from Combat Management Systems to advanced submarines, naval guns, submarine warfare, integration of unmanned systems, ship maintenance, and the possibility of transfer of technology in many of those areas make Navantia a natural, trustworthy partner and perfect fit for the necessities of the Philippine Navy.
Growing together with the Philippine Navy, increasing the technology of the Philippine local industry, and helping the Philippine nation to advance faster is our priority. Additionally, Navantia if finally honored with the award of the Frigates Acquisition Project would provide resources and would be able to collaborate on the requirements of the Future Philippine Navy Ship program.
