Spain’s second S80-series submarine, S82 Narciso Monturiol, has completed its first static dive off Cartagena as part of the vessel’s sea trials programme, according to the company.
Navantia said the test was carried out on 28 July near La Algameca Naval Base, with company personnel working alongside the submarine’s trials crew. The evolution forms part of a sequence of safety milestones ahead of submerged navigation trials.
The static dive is intended to confirm the behaviour of the submarine’s hull while submerged, check the flooding of its ballast tanks and assess static stability. Unlike later sea trials involving submerged manoeuvring, the exercise concentrates on the vessel’s behaviour as it transitions from surface displacement into a controlled submerged condition.
S82 is the second boat in Spain’s S80 submarine programme and follows the first-of-class S81 Isaac Peral. The class is being built by Navantia at Cartagena for the Spanish Navy as a new generation of conventionally powered attack submarines.
Work is also continuing on the remaining submarines in the programme. Navantia said three diesel generator sets were installed aboard the third boat, S83 Cosme García, during July.
Those generators form part of the S80’s propulsion architecture alongside the main electric motor and the class’s air-independent propulsion system. The AIP installation is intended to allow the submarine to remain submerged for longer periods without relying as frequently on conventional diesel-electric operation requiring access to atmospheric air.
Navantia Chairman Ricardo Domínguez said in the company’s release: “The S80 programme is progressing in line with the agreed schedule, and the second submarine in the series will be delivered soon.”
He added: “Thanks to the close collaboration between the Ministry of Defence, the Spanish Navy and Navantia, the S80 programme is already making a significant contribution to the strategic autonomy of Spain’s submarine force and to the technological capabilities of our industrial ecosystem.”
The S80 programme is intended to replace Spain’s ageing S70 Galerna-class submarines and restore a larger domestically built conventional submarine force. The new boats incorporate an integrated combat system, heavyweight torpedo and missile capability, and a substantially larger hull than their predecessors.
Spain’s programme has undergone a lengthy development process, including a redesign of the submarine after weight and buoyancy issues were identified during construction of the first boat. The resulting S80 Plus design incorporated a lengthened hull and other changes before construction and trials proceeded.
For S82, completion of the static dive clears one of the planned steps before more demanding submerged trials. Those trials will progressively examine the operation of the submarine at sea before the vessel can move towards delivery to the Spanish Navy.
Good to see. This programme has been an unmitigated disaster from the get-go
Like most big military projects, it hasn’t started without its issues. All the Navantia’s submarine specialists were retired, the project was badly managed (typical when the government has a say) and other particularities. Now, they perform well, the AIP is promising and the lessons are learned for the later units and S-90 project.
I think I have seen this submarine when we holiday to Spain and visit Cartagena.
It was sitting on the dock for years and I thought it was a museum piece lol.
You’ve seen the Tonina, an S-70 submarine preserved for the future submarine museum in Cartagena, birthplace of the modern submarine.
For those that despair of the progress of our Astute class (which is more to do with MOD funding than actual production issues) here we have the Spanish
S80 class which has to take laurels of being the worst modern Submarine project going.
S81 Isaac Peral laid down in 2007 and entered service in 2023 (16 years)
S82 Narciso Monturiol laid down 2009 and probably not in service till 2027 (18 years)
HMS Astute laid down 2001 and commissioned in 2019, after which build times got longer and longer till the last one which will be 11 years.
Oh and yes they are designed to have a Spanish AIP but neither of the first 2 Boats actually has it fitted. It’s still being tested so will not enter service till S83 (2030 ?) at the earliest and then once S84 enters service the first 2 will have their hills cut open so it can be inserted.
As for the redesign it was due to a massive error in the buoyancy calculations which meant it was likely that the boats be unable to surface, they got GDEBC in to redesign (lengthen) the boats.
FYI The weapons handling system is supplied by Babcock and the Fore and Aft semi spherical pressure hull sections for the first one were designed and built in Barrow by BAe.
The S80 is far from the worst one. It marks the return of the Spanish submarine industry after being literally abandoned. You still have problems making them and you’ve never stopped building them, I would expect you to build them flawlessly and us having room for error in our first submarine in decades. Starting from zero is tremendously more complicated than evolving.
The first units were sure to have problems, now they are solved. Narciso will enter service this year, not 2027. S83 will enter service in 2028, with S84 following one year later.
S85 and S86 are about to be ordered too.
And all these lessons are learned for the S-90 which, according to some rumors, could be nuclear.