Spain’s second S80 submarine completes first dive

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.