A new fabrication hall opened at Navantia UK's Harland & Wolff site in Belfast on the source's publication date, 2 November 2026, as the centrepiece of a £157 million investment programme across the company's four UK shipyards. The Ministry of Defence said around £100 million is being invested in Belfast alone, and the hall adds 5,000 square metres of fabrication space fitted with new cranes, robotic plasma-cutting technology and a mechanised panel line.

The facility will support construction of three Fleet Solid Support ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary — RFA Resurgent, Reliant and Resourceful — under a programme backed by £1.6 billion of MOD funding. The MOD said the ships are due to enter service in the early 2030s, with work progressing on schedule and within budget, and that the site supports 900 skilled jobs and apprenticeships. Navantia UK, which acquired the Belfast, Appledore, Methil and Arnish sites in January 2025, says it now supports more than 1,300 jobs and over 340 apprentices, and has committed to creating 750 apprenticeships by 2030. The company is also refurbishing the Samson and Goliath cranes.

The opening follows figures cited by the government showing MOD investment in Northern Ireland's defence sector rose 63% in real terms in 2025/26 to £464 million, the highest level since records began. Defence Minister Luke Pollard officially opened the hall.