Overview

• Navantia has been commissioned by the Spanish Navy to lead a feasibility study for the country’s first carrier capable of conventional takeoff and landing.
• Under the Armada2050 blueprint, Spain plans to field two amphibious assault ships alongside a conventional carrier to bolster its naval aviation force.
• The design study will examine catapult launch and arrestor-wire recovery technologies to support fighters such as the Rafale M and F-35C.
• The viability phase is expected to last up to two years, followed by a decade-long construction period that could see the carrier enter service by 2040.
• The initiative addresses the impending retirement of Harrier AV-8B jets by 2028 and seeks to diversify beyond the singular F-35B platform.