Navantia plans to deliver the S-82 submarine to the Spanish Navy before the end of 2026 if the sea trials that began last Thursday proceed normally.
The S-82 Narciso Monturiol is the second submarine of the S-80 series, which will consist of four new generation units whose main feature is their air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, allowing them to generate electrical power while submerged, using oxygen and bioethanol stored on board. This enables them to operate for long periods without the need to surface or perform snorkel maneuvers.
The first of the submarines of this class, the S-81 Isaac Peral, was delivered to the Navy on November 30, 2023, and is based in Cartagena.
The other two submarines that will complete the series, S-83 and S-84, are under construction at the Cartagena shipyard. The S-83 Cosme García has already begun testing the AIP propulsion system —a system with a high content of national technology— at the shipyard itself, while the delivery of the S-84 Mateo Garcia de los Reyes is scheduled for 2028.
“The AIP tests on the S-83 began with the first load of liquid oxygen and bioethanol, from which the system produces hydrogen that serves as fuel for its hydrogen fuel cell to propel the submarine while submerged,” Navantia explains on its website.
The Spanish shipbuilder adds that “this is, therefore, a third-generation AIP -that is, it does not store hydrogen, but generates it as needed from a liquid fuel- which allows breaking the limitations of previous generations currently in operation.”
The air-independent propulsion will grant the S80 submarines the ability to operate submerged for weeks instead of days (the time current conventional submarines equipped with lead-acid batteries can remain), enhancing their stealth and deterrent capability.
In addition to this stealth capability, advanced combat systems, state-of-the-art sensors, and an optimized design for long-duration operations, the S-80 submarines position Spain among the countries with the technological capacity to develop this type of strategic platform, according to Navantia.