Spanish Navy's First S-80 Submarine Ready for Delivery

Navantia’s S-81 submarine 'Isaac Peral' passed its last safety milestone, setting the stage for its impending delivery to the Spanish Navy.

The test, which saw the vessel's navigation capabilities operating at peak efficiency, occurred last Tuesday, the company said today. It was conducted with the active involvement of Navantia personnel, Navy representatives, and the Ministry of Defense.

Isaac Peral stands as the flagship among the quartet of S-80 Plus submarines built by Navantia for the Spanish Navy under a contract initiated in 2004. Commencing construction at Navantia's Cartagena facilities in 2007, the long-awaited vessel was unveiled in 2021, following a series of significant delays. The lead submarine embarked on its maiden voyage in May 2022.

This class of submarines are capable of engaging in sea-to-land attacks, intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance activities, anti-surface warfare, and anti-submarine warfare. Their bioethanol fuel cell AIP (Air Independent Power) system, recognized as BEST (Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology), enables extended underwater operations by recharging batteries even when submerged. The submarine comes equipped with three primary weapons, namely the DM2A4 heavyweight torpedo, UGM-84 Sub-Harpoon anti-ship missile, and SAES seabed mines. It also has the capability to deploy the UGM-109 Tomahawk land attack cruise missile.

With a streamlined operational crew consisting of 32 sailors and provisions for eight additional embarked personnel, the S-80 class submarine is a versatile vessel. It can reach impressive underwater speeds, surpassing 19 knots, and has a maximum depth capacity exceeding 300 meters. It measures approximately 80 meters in length, 7 meters in diameter, and possesses a submerged displacement of 3,000 tons.