Cartagena. The S-82 ‘Narciso Monturiol’ submarine, second of the series of four that Navantia is building for the Spanish Navy, has successfully 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.
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.
More than 1,500 Harbour Tests
As a complement to the safety milestone, the first Harbour Acceptance Tests of the S-82 ‘Narciso Monturiol’ submarine have been carried out, as part of a program that includes more than 1,500 verifications, including acceptance and builder tests.
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.
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 developed by Navantia 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.
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, Philippines or Canada, and opened a door to the international market in a highly technological sector.
