Navantia Commissions S-81 ‘Isaac Peral’ Submarine to the Spanish Navy, Committed to ‘Make in India’

The commissioning of S-81 Isaac Peral showcases Navantia’s evolving journey from a shipbuilder using foreign designs, to a turn-key supplier able to go through all design, build, commission and life cycle support phases. Demonstrating its commitment to India and the “Make in India” philosophy, Navantia is well-positioned to offer a smart and lower-risk solution to Indian Navy

Admin Special Feature : Navy Day
Isaac Peral submarine on the commissioning ceremony

After the setting afloat of the S-81 ‘Isaac Peral’ submarine in 2021 and the harbour and sea trials tests achieved since that day, the Spanish Navy received the submarine from Navantia in an event held on November 30, 2023, in the city of Cartagena, situated on the south-east coast of Spain. Defence Minister Margarita Robles presided over the event attended by Chief of Defence Staff Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, the Chief of Staff of the Spanish, Admiral General Antonio Piñeiro, and Navantia’s Chairman Ricardo Domínguez.

The commissioning of the ‘Isaac Peral’ is a significant milestone for the Spanish Navy, as it will help to strengthen the country’s naval defence capabilities. The S-80 class, one of the most advanced NATO conventional submarines, is capable of carrying out a wide range of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering and surveillance among others. They have also been designed to incorporate land attack capability in the future.

‘Isaac Peral’ is the first of four S-80 class submarines, entirely designed and built by Navantia. With this programme, Spain becomes one of the few countries that can design and build submarines, extremely complex vessels which must operate autonomously for long periods in a hostile environment.

 

The S-80 programme is the greatest industrial and technological challenge ever faced by the Spanish industry. It is a huge technological leap for Navantia, which has accomplished the building of a submarine based on its own design and takes the role of Technical Design Authority for the Life Cycle Support of the vessels.

 

The commissioning of the ‘Isaac Peral’ is a significant milestone for the Spanish Navy, as it will help to strengthen the country’s naval defence capabilities. The S-80 class, one of the most advanced NATO conventional submarines, is capable of carrying out a wide range of missions, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering and surveillance among others

The S-80 submarines have an overall length of 80.8 metres, a diameter of 7.3 metres, and a submerged displacement of around 3,000 tonnes. They include the integrated combat system and platform control system developed by Navantia Sistemas, which are probably the most advanced in the market. The combat system core has been developed in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, which also supplies the sonar suite. The submarines also integrate a weapon system which provides the submarine with the capacity to launch torpedoes, anti-surface missiles, and tactical land attack missiles.

 

They will have BEST-AIP system, an atmosphere-independent propulsion system based on bio-ethanol reforming technology, which supplies the ship with electrical power at any depth so that it can remain underwater for weeks.

 
Handover and transfer documentation signed between Navantia and the Ministry of Defence and from the latter to the Cartagena Arsena

This innovative technology is based on fuel cells, and is part of the so-called third-generation systems, i.e. those that use hydrogen produced on board from a fuel, bioethanol in this particular case. This technology represents an improvement with regard to those systems that store pure hydrogen, particularly in terms of safety and performance. This cutting-edge technology allows S80 submarines to remain submerged for up to three weeks.

The S-80 programme is the greatest industrial and technological challenge ever faced by the Spanish industry. It is a huge technological leap for Navantia, which has accomplished the building of a submarine based on its own design and takes the role of Technical Design Authority for the Life Cycle Support of the vessels

In addition, the S-80 submarines can be operated by a reduced crew without reducing its capabilities: It is capable of a submerged speed of more than 19 knots and a maximum diving depth of more than 300m.

With the first unit in service, S-82 already in the process of joining sections, and S-83 and S-84 also in the advanced phase of construction, the S-80 submarine programme is making strong progress. The S-80 submarines are expected to have significant attention of the international market in the coming years.

The S-80 submarines are proposed as the baseline for the P75(I) project, the most important and strategically significant naval programme undertaken by the Indian Ministry of Defence. The Indian Navy requirements are similar to the S-80 making Navantia’s offer a smart and lower-risk solution.

The S-80 submarines are proposed as the baseline for the P75(I) project, the most important and strategically significant naval programme undertaken by the Indian Ministry of Defence. The Indian Navy requirements are similar to the S-80 making Navantia’s offer a smart and lower-risk solution

In addition, Navantia has demonstrated it is fully committed to India and the “Make in India” philosophy, having gone through a similar experience over the last decades. Evolving from a shipbuilder using foreign designs, to a turn-key supplier able to go through all design, build, commission and life cycle support phases, Navantia is well positioned to assist other navies and international shipbuilders with a wide range of Transfer of Technology solutions.