Navantia, Telefónica to install cybersecurity systems on S-80 subs

Spanish shipbuilding company Navantia and compatriot telecommunications company Telefónica have joined forces on the development of a reinforced cybersecurity system for the S-80 class submarines.

As disclosed, the work is being carried out in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry of Defense, which defines the requirements in this area in accordance with the new scenarios posed by digitalization and the technological challenge.

Navantia will supply the cyber defense cabinets for each submarine in the series and carry out the development of the systems engineering and security engineering and the integration of the main systems of the submarine in the cyber defense.

In addition, laboratory test environments or land-based test sites (LBTS) will be provided for the development and qualification of the cyber defense system.

According to the companies, the S-80 Cyber Defence will give the submarine’s main systems protection against cyber attacks or intrusion attempts. Furthermore, it will monitor, in real-time, the operation of the combat system, the platform’s integrated control system, and the advanced communications system, alerting in the event of any possible threat detection.

Its advanced logging system will also allow forensic analysis to identify the origin and degree of the threat and the mechanism used for the intrusion in order to adopt the appropriate corrective actions.

The two companies have already signed an agreement to jointly design, develop and market cybersecurity and integral technological security services for S-80 submarines and F-110 frigates.

The new S-80 class submarines are being built by Navantia for the Spanish Navy. The submarines include Isaac Peral (S-81), Narciso Monturiol (S-82), Cosme Garcia (S-83) and Mateo Garcia de los Reyes (S-84).

The launching ceremony for Isaac Peral, the first in a series of four new air-independent propulsion (AIP) S-80 submarines, took place in April this year.

The submarines belonging to this class feature an overall length of 80.8 meters, a diameter of 7.3 meters, and a submerged displacement of around 3,000 tonnes. They include the integrated combat system and platform control system developed by Navantia Sistemas.

They are also equipped with Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology (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. S-80 has also improved stealth capabilities, the main attribute of a submarine.

The submarine also features a combat system developed by Navantia Sistemas in collaboration with the US firm Lockheed Martin, with capacity, unique (for NATO and EU) amongst conventional submarines of similar characteristics, to launch land-attack tactical missiles.