It is expected to be fully operational by July 2025
CARTAGENA (MURCIA)/SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 15 (EUROPA PRESS)
The submarine S-81 ‘Isaac Peral’ of the Spanish Navy continues in the Arsenal of Cartagena (Murcia) its certification process to be fully operational in July of this year. Thus, in another step towards its final implementation, it will launch a torpedo with a live warhead against a real target for the first time in an exercise that will take place in May in the waters of the Canary Islands.
The target will be an old ship that needs to be sunk. Citizens will likely be able to see it at the naval parade preceding the Armed Forces Day parade on June 6 in the Canary Islands.
The ‘Isaac Peral’, the fifth submarine of the Navy baptized with the name of the distinguished Spanish sailor, was delivered on November 30, 2023. Since then, it has been in the Arsenal of Cartagena, where Navy personnel and Navantia, the manufacturer of the submarine, are working on its final setup in what can be understood as its «warranty year» before being fully available.
With the S-81 operational, Spain will have two submarines, but it has already entered the restricted club of countries in the world that have the capacity to build them, ten in total. The Navy will retire the S-71 ‘Galerna’ in mid-2027, which will be when the S-82 ‘Narciso Monturiol’, currently under construction and testing, completes its evaluation and certification stage. Navantia is expected to deliver it to the Navy in September 2026 and it will enter into operation in mid-2027.
The other two submarines of the S-80 plus series, the S-83 ‘Cosme García’ and the S-84 ‘Mateo García de los Reyes’, have already started the construction and testing phase, but their deliveries will be delayed until December 2028 and January 2030, according to the schedule provided by the Navy. They will be fully operational in early 2030 and early 2031, respectively.
The Commander of the Submarine Flotilla, Navy Captain Pedro Márquez de la Calleja, believes that the current moment is «exciting and critical» and calls for more investment so that programs of this type can continue to be carried out. «It must be maintained, and for that, investment is required,» he emphasizes.
A SUBSTANTIAL TECHNOLOGICAL LEAP
The S-80 submarines, 81 meters long, are versatile platforms capable of carrying out a wide variety of missions, which continue and expand the capabilities that the Navy had with the S-70. Commander Márquez de la Calleja highlights that their added values are discretion, versatility, and deterrence capability.
The S-80 can carry out anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare; operations in shallow waters; special operations and discreet evacuation of civilian personnel; surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence gathering; discreet mining –defensive and offensive–; and can be integrated into combat groups.
The Navy emphasizes that the series represents a substantial technological leap compared to its predecessor, as it has an integrated platform control system, an integrated combat system, and an integrated communications system. This group allows for increased automation while significantly reducing the number of people needed to operate the submarine.
This automation is supported by a high level of equipment redundancy, which in turn increases safety during submersion. On the other hand, the improvement in discretion is notable with high construction standards in terms of acoustic and magnetic signatures.
Additionally, for the first time in the history of the Navy, the S-80 will have the capability to launch missiles, allowing for the attack on surface units from remote positions and even conducting selective attacks on coastal land targets. Specifically, it has tactical missiles, ground-attack cruise missiles, guided torpedoes, and mines that are launched through its six torpedo tubes.
If the torpedo is already in the tube, it takes seconds to launch when the order is given. If it needs to be loaded, thanks to the automation of the submarine, the operation takes between 15 and 20 minutes in total, as explained by the submarine crew. The S-81 has already launched seven torpedoes, without warheads, for testing.
The Navy also highlights that the S-80s are equipped with a technology called AIP that allows the submarines to have a large autonomy underwater. Submarine Flotilla personnel indicate that the AIP technology makes the submarine’s «battery» last longer and allows the submersible not to snorkel to charge the batteries. By not surfacing, discretion is gained.
40 PEOPLE FOR TWO SHOWERS AND THREE TOILETS
The crew of the S-81 ‘Isaac Peral’ is composed of 53 people, due to the need to address the personnel’s needs regarding family reconciliation or course completion. Of them, 46 are men and seven are women. There are nine male officers, 19 male non-commissioned officers, two women, and 18 male troop members, and five women.
However, it is designed to be operated by a total of 40 people, of which 33 occupy guard positions in three watches –eleven people per watch– and seven are permanently available –commander, second in command, operations chief, kitchen staff, and radio personnel.
While the S-80 series improves the habitability of the S-70, the submarines are far from comfortable. The S-81 has two showers and three toilets for the crew on board, who sleep in seven cabins with a capacity for six people and one with a capacity for three. The commander, in this case Captain Corbeta Manuel Corral Iranzo, has a cabin to himself.
Down there, the crew divides their time between their duties and board games, considering that they cannot connect to the internet and contact with the outside world is impossible. When not embarked, the Submarine Flotilla personnel train in the simulators of the Base and the School, which are vital for the existence of the submarine arm. They require continuous training because, as the personnel repeats, in a submarine «there are no second chances.»
