WATCH: Spanish Navy’s first S-80 submarine kicks off sea trials

Spanish shipbuilding firm Navantia has revealed that the first Spanish Navy’s S-80 Plus-class submarine Isaac Peral (S-81) started initial sea trials.

As informed, the submarine was put in the water on 27 May. In the coming months, until delivery to the Spanish Navy in 2023, the Navantia shipyard in Cartagena will continue to carry out various port and sea tests of the vessel.

The launching ceremony for the submarine, the first in a series of four new air-independent propulsion (AIP) S-80 submarines being built for the Spanish Navy by Navantia, was hosted in April last 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.

The S-80 program has meant a technological leap for Navantia and its cooperating industries, placing them at the forefront of the world’s conventional submarines market.

Around one hundred companies from 11 different Spanish regions are taking part in the program.