Spain’s S82 ‘Narciso Monturiol’ submarine, the second vessel in the S80 programme, has conducted its first static dive near La Algameca Naval Base in Cartagena.
The test, conducted on 28 July, involved Navantia personnel and the trials crew. It represents a planned milestone in the vessel’s trials schedule.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
According to Navantia, the static dive aimed to assess the behaviour of the hull, evaluate the flooding of ballast tanks, and verify the submarine’s static stability before progressing to submerged navigation trials.
Progress on other vessels in the S80 series is continuing as scheduled, Navantia said.
In June this year, Navantia started testing of the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system on the S-83 Cosme García, the third submarine in the series at its Cartagena shipyard.
This month, diesel generators were installed on the S83 ‘Cosme García’, the third submarine in the series.
These generators, alongside the main electric motor and the anaerobic AIP system, constitute the S80 class’s propulsion system.
Navantia chairman Ricardo Domínguez said: “The S80 programme is progressing in line with the agreed schedule, and the second submarine in the series will be delivered soon.
“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 S82 ‘Narciso Monturiol’ is one of four submarines being constructed for the Spanish Navy as part of the S80 programme.
The submarine is named after Narciso Monturiol Estarriol, a 19th-Century Catalan engineer and inventor.
Each S80 submarine features an 80.8 metre (m) length, a 7.3m diameter, and a submerged displacement of about 3,000 tonnes.
Among the key onboard technologies is the combat and platform control system developed by Navantia’s systems division, as well as the BEST-AIP system that enables extended submerged operations.
The air-independent propulsion system utilises fuel cell technology to generate electrical power at any depth, allowing the submarines to remain submerged for extended periods without surfacing.
Navantia reported that the S80 programme supports more than 6,000 jobs directly and indirectly, with an annual contribution to Spain’s GDP exceeding €250m ($287m). Around one hundred partner companies are involved in the programme.
