Morocco’s new Avante 1800 patrol ship nears completion in Spain, first build in four decades

Construction of Morocco’s new Avante 1800 offshore patrol vessel is moving into its final stages at the Navantia shipyard in San Fernando, Spain, marking the most significant naval delivery from Spain to Morocco in nearly 40 years.

The vessel, commissioned under a 2022 agreement, is expected to be delivered to the Royal Moroccan Navy in 2025. 

According to Spanish defense outlet Defensa, the ship’s hull and core systems are nearly complete, though weapons and external sensors have yet to be installed,  details that remain undisclosed at Morocco’s request.

The deal was financed through a €95 million loan from Banco Santander, with a total contract value of €130 million. Construction officially began in July 2023.

 With a displacement of around 2,020 tons, the 87-meter-long ship will feature a flight deck capable of hosting a helicopter or unmanned aerial system, as well as two RHIB support boats. Propulsion will rely on four MAN 175D engines and five Baudouin generators, giving it a top speed of 24 knots.

Although its final weapons fit remains classified, the Avante 1800 platform is designed to integrate medium-caliber naval guns, remotely operated weapons stations, and potentially anti-ship missiles. 

Such versatility underscores Rabat’s effort to acquire adaptable platforms as maritime threats shift in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

The May 27 christening ceremony, attended by Moroccan and Spanish officials,  highlighted the political symbolism of the project.

The build is the first Moroccan warship constructed in Spain since 1983, when Navantia’s predecessor delivered the Lieutenant Colonel Errahmani frigate. 

Its arrival will feed into King Mohammed VI’s wider military modernization plan, which has emphasized air defense, armored forces and, increasingly, naval capacity to protect trade routes and address irregular migration and smuggling networks off Morocco’s coasts.