Spain delivers its new military vessel to Morocco… but cancels the ceremony

Navantia and Morocco are due to sign the document on Thursday marking the delivery of the offshore patrol vessel built over three years at the San Fernando shipyard, near Cádiz. Once this contractual stage has been completed, the vessel will be able to leave the Spanish facilities with its Moroccan crew.

The delivery was initially supposed to give rise to an institutional ceremony attended by representatives of both countries. However, these plans were abandoned because of the diplomatic crisis caused by the mass arrivals of migrants in Sebta, reports Diario de Cádiz.

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The cancellation of the ceremony does not call the delivery into question. Navantia stresses the essentially protocolary nature of the event: signing the delivery milestone is sufficient to officially transfer the vessel to the Royal Navy.

Morocco ordered this patrol vessel from the Spanish state-owned shipbuilder for approximately 130 million euros. Its construction was notably financed by a 95-million-euro loan granted by Santander bank.

An 87-metre vessel for the Royal Navy

Named Moulay Hassan I, the patrol vessel is 87 metres long and 13 metres wide, with a full-load displacement of approximately 2,020 tonnes. It can accommodate around sixty sailors and reach a maximum speed of 24 knots.

The vessel also has a deck intended to accommodate a helicopter or drones, as well as two semi-rigid boats. The contract includes technical assistance, spare parts, tooling and training for Moroccan personnel.

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The vessel’s construction represented more than one million hours of work and involved approximately 1,100 direct, indirect and induced jobs in the Cádiz region. Launched in May 2025, the Moulay Hassan I subsequently conducted its harbour trials, sea trials and the various tests required for its acceptance.

The Royal Navy will therefore indeed receive its new patrol vessel on Thursday, but without the official images and speeches initially planned. Military cooperation between the two countries continues, while the Sebta crisis has erased any public celebration of the delivery.