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.
Rumours was an Amazing Album by Fleetwood Mac and has no actual bearing on a Submarine Industry (try listening to “Dreams”.
Yep France dumped Spain right in it for National Industrial reasons, namely didn’t want to share the export opportunities (which have been very lucrative).
Facts are that Spain is presently actively phasing out all its remaining Civilian Nuclear plants after they finish an extended life span (which is now 50 years I think) with no plans for anymore, it no longer mines Uranium and no longer processes it for fuel
Without that basic industry and given the level of defence spending Spain has about zero chance of building a Military Nuclear Industry from scratch and to be perfectly honest if you have actually spent a fortune on AIP, have no real world wide deployment needs why would you even bother !
The costs of doing so and maintaining it are absolutely staggering, a big bit of the DNE is here in my home City of Derby and the present infrastructure investment in just this plant is over £6 billion (then add on SFM and BAe).
You mention teething problems with starting up your own Submarine design and production from scratch, yep it’s a daunting task and just like the U.K industry (which had a 10 year gap due to idiotic politicians) it’s not easy. And Spain did have the good sense to get the folks from Groton in to sort it out for you (we had them in to sort out CAD issues) ! No one wants to see any submariner lose their life, but there are way too many times that National pride has resulted in just that, so fingers crossed it should be fine.
On your point about the U.K. issues, the problems were all 100% down to Politicians who allowed a gap in Boat production and then funded it at a snails pace to spin out the costs.
But miscalculating the basic calculations of fluid mechanics (buoyancy) is simply inexcusable as it’s been known and understood since c250 BC (see Archimedes for details). If you look at just what had to be done to the S80 to make it safe you get some idea of just how far off those calculations were (20%). Irony is that Isaac Peral got it right in 1888 when he designed the one and only Spanish designed and built Submarine till the S80 (since then they were all Italian, American, German designs and most built abroad). Bloody shame the Armada didn’t let him continue as he just got so much of it right (I actually think he was the father of modern subs not John Holland).
Also the issue of the AIP not being ready is baffling as it wasn’t related to the actual Boat design issues and has been under development for 2 decades, so someone must have either underestimated the complexity / costs or massively cocked it up (pesky Politicians ?).
As I see it and based on what happened in both the U.K. and US industries the biggest threat to Spains Submarine Industry long term is the size of its market.
No orders = No money = No Industry.
So given that the size of the ARMADA Espanola submarine fleet is presently set at just 4 boats (2 in service at present), rather than dream of nuclear boats that will take decades to develop you actually need to stabilise a sustainable industrial base. So increase that fleet to about 8 and quickly order a follow up order for 4 more S80A, a developed version or just watch your Submarine industry wither away.
This delay has effectively meant that Spain has missed the boat (pun intended) on so many export opportunities and France, Germany, Sweden and South Korea have hoovered up most of the planned orders for the next decade. So you need a bigger fleet !
you forgot to add that the Isaac Pearl recently lost part of its front hull recently.
the S80 program is a bad joke! … and the joke is not over.
False! No structural implications, just loose pieces. You apparently haven’t read my comment that you are replying to. It’s the first submarine in decades in its first mission. Problems solved, the S82 has a list of improvements first observed in the S81.
What’s worse is still having problems when you’ve never stopped building them like you. Not to mention aircraft carriers taking in water and a numerous list of other problems, Type 45 problems and low availability, etc. You are not an example of things well done.
I was not even replying to you! (self centered much?)
I couldn’t care less about your claims to defend the indefensible. The S80 has been mired by technical problems, delays and cost overruns. The S80 sub is the most expensive diesel sub by quite a margin, let that sink in. 😀
I can answer you even if you were not replying to me. It still represents a big step forward with a lot of knowledge acquired that was lost. In Europe, France, Germany, Sweden and the UK can design their own submarines, now also Spain. And this is serving as a base for the upcoming S-90 which will be cutting edge.
stop making stuff up,
1. there is no upcoming S90 in development. S80 is still in production, and entering service. it will be decades before Spain even thinks of a replacement
2. there are no plans of nuclear powered subs for the spanish navy orany other ship. even the initial discussions around a next aircraft carrier are about 40-50k ton diesel powered with possibly catapults TBD
There is no S-90 in development and I haven’t said there was. I said the lessons from the S-80 will be applied to the S-90 when it starts development, which, according to defense media, the Spanish Navy aims to have as a cutting edge submarine. The development will not be in decades as you assure, still in this decade development works for the S-90 will begin.
Again, I haven’t said nuclear powered ships will be a thing, but it’s a rumor so far. Spain is growing, 4th European economy and in the next decade it’s expected to become the 3rd, it’s growing in influence and power and there’s knowledge for nuclear reactors in the country, so it’s a possibility currently being rumored and can end up happening. Similar countries like Italy are also exploring the possibility.
I think it’s great. Spain has restablished indigenous submarine manufacture, weathered development issues and will continue developing. There will be cockups, that’s just part of any program of this scope.