Spanish Navy’s second S-80 submarine completes safety milestones

The S-82 Narciso Monturiol submarine, the second of the series of four that Navantia is building for the Spanish Navy, has accomplished its first safety milestone: the “power up” of the equipment.

The “power up” consists of the start-up of the main and emergency electrical distribution networks. From the completion of this milestone, the various equipment can be safely powered from their distribution panel, according to Navantia.

The “power up” is the first safety milestone planned within the Safety Milestones Management Plan of the S-80 Program, which aims to establish a framework that demonstrates that the construction and testing process of the S-80 Program submarines is carried out in a way that ensures the lowest possible risk level.

As a complement to the safety milestone, the first harbor acceptance tests of the S-82 submarine have been carried out, as part of a program that includes more than 1,500 verifications, including acceptance and builder tests.

Navantia highlighted that these milestones show the satisfactory advance of the S-80 program, with the first submarine already in service for the Spanish Navy, and the second one accomplishing these tests prior to its launching, scheduled for next summer.

In November 2023, Navantia delivered the first S-80 submarine to the Spanish Navy, Isaac Peral. The launching ceremony for the submarine was hosted in April 2022. Meanwhile, the shipbuilder completed the installation of the air-independent propulsion (AIP) system equipment, based on hydrogen technology, on the third submarine.

The S-80 submarines have a total length of 80.8 meters, a diameter of 7.3 meters, and a submerged displacement of around 3,000 tons.

Among their technological contributions are the combat and platform control system from Navantia Sistemas, and a revolutionary anaerobic propulsion system that provides great stealth in immersion, called BEST-AIP. This air-independent propulsion system allows it to obtain electrical energy from fuel cells using technology from the aerospace sector at any depth. Thus, it can remain submerged for weeks without surfacing, which improves its discretion, the main attribute of a submarine, it was emphasized.

The S-80s are the most advanced conventional (non-nuclear) submarines in the world, which have aroused the interest of several navies from other countries like Poland or Canada, and opened a door to the international market in a highly technological sector.