The Navy takes delivery of the S-81 'Isaac Peral' submarine, a historic milestone that places Spain at the forefront of naval technology

The Navy received the S-81 'Isaac Peral' submarine at the Cartagena Arsenal in a ceremony presided over by the Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, a delivery that represents a historical moment in the recent history of the Navy and the defence industry, with which Spain enters the club of ten countries with the capacity to design and build submarines.

The 'Isaac Peral' is the first of four latest-generation S-80 submarines planned, making the Spanish Navy among the best equipped in the world in terms of submarine weapons, and allowing Navantia to consolidate its position among the leading international companies.

"With this programme, we are taking a giant step forward and today we feel particularly proud of our Navy, heir to the great seafarers of history who transformed the world", said the Minister for Defence, who added that "Spain's international presence is guaranteed with the Spanish Navy and with this programme".

Robles thanked the city of Cartagena, the Navy and all the personnel of Navantia and the Ministry of Defence for their involvement in the project. He also said a few words of remembrance for the late AJEMA, Admiral General Antonio Martorell: "I think that today, wherever he is, he will be as proud as we all are".

At the solemn ceremony, the handover and transfer documentation was signed between Navantia and the Ministry of Defence's Directorate General for Armaments and Material, before going on from the latter to the Cartagena Arsenal. The first commander of the unit, Lieutenant Commander Manuel Corral, was also sworn in and the ship was presented with its flag.

The celebration was attended by the Chief of Defence Staff (JEMAD), Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón; the Chief of Staff of the Navy (AJEMA), Admiral General Antonio Piñeiro; the Secretary of State for Defence, Amparo Valcarce; and the President of Navantia, Ricardo Domínguez, among other civilian and military authorities.

The AJEMA stressed that "today marks the beginning of an exciting stage, in which we are incorporating cutting-edge technology in a submarine that is destined to play an important role in naval operations", thanking the Minister for Defence for promoting a project "that would not have been possible without her decisive and personal support".

Also present at the ceremony were the Secretary of State Director of the CNI, Esperanza Casteleiro; the Undersecretary of Defence, Adoración Mateos; the Director General of Armaments and Material, Admiral Aniceto Rosique; the President of the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, and the Mayoress of Cartagena, Noelia Arroyo.

Industrial and technological milestone

The S-80 programme is the biggest industrial and technological challenge ever faced by the national defence industry, given that a submarine is a system designed to operate autonomously in a very hostile environment for long periods of time, requiring highly specialised expertise in a variety of disciplines.

In this regard, the president of Navantia pointed out that "the delivery of the first of these submarines is a success of excellence not only in the technical aspect, but also in other values and principles that are at the base of every challenge: collaboration, confidence in our capacity, effort and the will to excel", he said, thanking especially the Ministry of Defence and the Navy. "Without your strong support, we would not be here celebrating this historic milestone," he said.

Likewise, in her speech, the Secretary of State for Defence assured that "the S-80 Programme and Navantia's work in the Cartagena naval industry centre is, without a doubt, one of the most complex technological projects ever undertaken in our country". She stressed that, in addition to placing the Spanish naval industry among the most important in the international arena, it represents significant economic returns.

"This project is a real challenge for our science and technology system," said Valcarce, "and a very important investment milestone for the Government of Spain of €4 billion between 2018 and 2032. The S-81 will be followed by three other submersibles that are at different stages of progress, all of them named after pioneers of underwater navigation: the S-82 'Narciso Monturol', the X-83 'Cosme García' and the S-84 'Mateo García de los Reyes'.

Unique capabilities

Its length of 80.8 metres, a 7.3-meter diameter and a displacement capacity of almost 3,000 tonnes, mean that the S-80 has unique capabilities among NATO's non-nuclear submarines. Due to its high level of automation, it can operate with a crew of just 32, and is capable of anti-surface, anti-submarine and ground attacks, operations at various depths, special operations and the evacuation of civilian personnel, intelligence gathering and deterrence.

The S-80 programme represents a substantial technological leap forward compared to its predecessor, the S-70, because it will have an Integrated Platform Control System and a Combat System which, at the same time as increasing its degree of automation, will significantly reduce the number of people required to operate the submarine. This project has been the biggest challenge for Spanish shipbuilding to date.

The crew has undergone a rigorous process of education, training and certification throughout the sea trials phase, allowing them to gain in-depth knowledge of the platform so that the submarine can be operated safely, both on the surface and submerged.

For its part, the JEMAD wished the crew the best of luck: "He urged them to "make the most of the systems you have and get them operational at the highest level".

Non official translation