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The S-81, which will be named ‘Isaac Peral’, is the first submarine designed and built in Spain. The launching ceremony will take place from Navantia’s shipyard in Murcia, Spain. This represents a strong commitment within national technological development, as well as propelling the Spanish industrial sector in an international setting.
With the S-80 program, Spain becomes one of the few countries that can design and build submarines, an extremely complex task because these vessels must operate autonomously in a hostile environment.
The S-80 program is the greatest industrial and technological challenge ever faced by the national defence industry. Navantia is taking a huge technological step forward, as it is taking the role of Technical Design Authority for the first time. In addition, Navantia is completing the cycle of technological evolution, from building in Spain with a foreign design.
The submarines will have an overall length of 80.8 metres, a diameter of 7.3 metres, and a submerged displacement of around 3,000 tonnes. They include the integrated combat system and platform control system developed by Navantia Sistemas. They will have BEST-AIP, an atmosphere-independent propulsion system, which supplies the ship with electrical power at any depth so that it can remain underwater for longer periods. Therefore the S-80 has considerably improved its stealth capabilities, the main attribute of a submarine.
The submarine stands as the world’s most advanced conventional submarines and has drawn the attention of several navies and opened opportunities in a highly technological international market.
The launching ceremony will be held ahead of the process of setting it afloat. This process, which takes many hours, will be carried out by shipyard staff in the following days.
The next phases will be harbour tests and sea tests, which include sailing up to the maximum operating depth. The first sailing is scheduled for early 2022 with delivery to the Navy in early 2023.
The S-80 program has meant a technological leap for Navantia and its cooperating industries, placing them at the forefront of the world’s conventional submarines market. Around one hundred companies from 11 different Spanish regions are taking part in the program.
