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Spain seeks to market its new S-80 submarines to Egypt

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According to TR NEWS website: Spain seeks to market its new S-80 submarines to the Egyptian Navy.

Spain's S-80 strike submarine
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The First S-80-Plus Class Submarine Will Launch New Era For Spanish Navy


22 Apr 2021
S-80P-Isaac-Peral-Class-Submarine-Cutaway-scaled.jpg

S-81 Isaac Peral is one of the largest non-nuclear submarines in the world. The long-range 2,965 ton boat will bring new capabilities to the Spanish Navy and is being offered on the export market. Uniquely for a Western non-nuclear submarine it is equipped to launch Tomahawk missiles.


The Spanish Navy’s new submarine, Isaac Peral (S-81), is being christened today in Cartagena, Spain. It is one of the largest non-nuclear submarines in the world and promises to be a major step up for the Spanish Navy (Armada Española).

Its S-80 Plus design will be characterized by its use of a bioethanol fuel cell AIP (air independent power) system. Known as BEST (Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology) by the submarine’s builder, Navantia, this offers some advantages over other AIP systems. After use the ethanol is reformed which overcomes the need to separately store hydrogen aboard. Other AIP submarines need hydrogen tanks. Additionally, the ethanol is a relatively available fuel to source.

The submarine will be armed with three primary weapons. These are the DM2A4 heavyweight torpedo, UGM-84 Sub-Harpoon anti-ship missile and SAES seabed mines. It was also planned to equip them with the UGM-109 Tomahawk land attack cruise missile. This would place the Spanish Navy in an elite group of submarine operators with a ‘first night’ strategic strike capability. While the Tomahawk order has passed into history, the submarine retains the capability to carry them if they are acquired in the future. This capability is unique among non-nuclear NATO submarines.

In the 1990s Navantia (Spain) and DCNS (Now Naval Group, France) started the joint development of the Scorpène Class submarine. This was aimed at the export market and has been successful with sail to Chile, Malaysia, India and Brazil.

However the design was too small for Spanish requirements and the S-80 submarine program was launched. At this point Navantia and Naval Group parted ways and the S-80 is seen as a Spanish design. Naturally there are some general characteristics of the Scorpène in the design. This is most visible in the sail where the resemblance is clear.

Compared to the Scorpène Class


Compared to the Scorpène the S-80 has a wider hull. The pressure hull diameter is 7.3 meters (24 ft) compared to 6.2 meters (20 ft). This seemingly small difference is enough to allow for an extra deck level. It also means that the same number of torpedoes can be carried but with the torpedo room not taking up the entire height of the forward part of the submarine. Length is also greater at 80.8 meters (232 ft) compared to 61.7 meters (202 ft).

Another major difference is that the S-80 has been designed from the start as an AIP submarine. Currently no Scorpène class boats have AIP although there are plans for them to catch up. French submarine builder Naval Group, who now market the Scorpène exclusively, offer a system.

The new class promises to bring the Spanish Navy’s submarine fleet thoroughly up to date. Most recently the launch of the first boat has been delated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The AIP has endurance of about 3 weeks and can be operated throughout the entire depth-range of the submarine. Combined with the low crewing requirements, just 32 people, this may make it attractive on the international market. So it may also have some export potential, although it faces tough competition.


https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...s-class-submarine-new-capabilities-for-spain/

* It costs $1 billion


However, there is another long-running, and much more serious, bug in the S-80 program: for years researchers have be unable to get the bio-ethanol AIP drive to work for the intended four weeks (they kept falling short at three) until a test in May 2018—but only with a reduced-scale twenty-five-kilowatt prototype. As a result, the AIP drive will not be ready for installation until the third boat is deployed in 2026, while the first two will receive AIP drives for their 2032 refit. In effect, the lead ships of the class will lack their key defining technology for at least a decade, a fate similar to Russia’s failed attempt to build AIP-powered submarines.

Currently, the S-81 Isaac Peral is scheduled to enter service in 2022, with the Narciso Monturiol, Cosme Garcia and Mateo Garcia de los Reyes following from 2024 to 2027. An option for two more S-80s is under consideration. Spain has also sought to market the S-80 abroad, but its technical woes already scuppered promising opportunities to sell the sub to Australia and India.

The S-80s may still perform both long-range sea control and expeditionary missions effectively, thanks to their endurance and added facilities for commandos and land-attack capabilities. If the bioethanol AIP drive can be made to work, the S-80 could end up serving as very stealthy, far-ranging guardians of Atlantic and Mediterranean waters around Spain—though ones built at nearly twice the price of peer-AIP submarines like the German Type 212 due to the mistakes made in development.


https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/spain’s-billion-dollar-ethanol-powered-s-80-super-submarines-are-too-big-fit-their-docks
 
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The Saudi military attache in Spain visits the S-81 submarine

The Saudi military attache in Spain, Colonel Khalid bin Saleh Al-Ghafaili, visited the Navantia shipyard in Cartagena with military attaches from 15 other countries.

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During the visit, the guests were able to see first-hand the capabilities and technological developments of Navantia in its programs for the Spanish Navy. In addition to the S-81 submarine that was built in the Cartagena basin, they were able to see the F-110 frigate through a virtual model showing some of its innovations, such as SSI) or Digital twin

After visiting the shipyard, the delegation went to the Spanish Navy Shipyard where they visited the S80 simulators, and were able to see how the Spanish Navy and Navantia jointly conduct submarine crew training.

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https://www.infodefensa.com/es/2021...ino-isaac-peral-agregados-defensa-paises.html


** They are oceanic submarines of medium tonnage with the capacity to carry out long duration missions in scenarios far from their base, acting with a minimum level of indiscretion. They will have an integrated platform control system that allows operation with a reduced endowment and a high degree of automation with remote control. The characteristics of this class of ships place them at a level close to those of nuclear propulsion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-80_Plus-class_submarine
 
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The Spanish sub design; S-80, had some defect with its pipes, if I remember correctly, which is why many nations stopped considering it. Cant find the news at the moment. Maybe they fixed it with the new version.
 
The Spanish sub design; S-80, had some defect with its pipes, if I remember correctly, which is why many nations stopped considering it. Cant find the news at the moment. Maybe they fixed it with the new version.
They have hired a US team who fixed it long time ago..

It is expensive now but might be worth it in 2025 not before.. Mostly for KSA not Egypt for now..
 
Even heavier than kilo class impressive
 
* It costs $1 billion

That's a lot of loot. Egypt should probably stick to the Scorpene if it can. Several reasons as it has a lot less US components even though the Tomahawk missiles in this S-80 were cancelled by the US if I'm not mistaken. Also, the, Scorpene is somewhere around 62 meters long, not that much smaller than this monster and at less than half the cost with mostly the same features, offensive weapons might be a bit different. But they could essentially get 2 Scorpenes for the price of one of these, even though the Spanish build some great naval assets, from what I understand, they actually are part of the Scorpene consortium.
 
I have read about this sub few months back and it looks solid. Just needs some testing and examining
 
I have read about this sub few months back and it looks solid. Just needs some testing and examining
It needs a lot of testing and examining.. it is certainly a solid design now. but let's give it 4-5 years to be really proven.. even the AIP is not installed on the first 2 subs.. not sure if it is ready or not..they say by 2026.. so all in all it is a future submarine to take into consideration but not an immediate purchase..
That's a lot of loot. Egypt should probably stick to the Scorpene if it can. Several reasons as it has a lot less US components even though the Tomahawk missiles in this S-80 were cancelled by the US if I'm not mistaken. Also, the, Scorpene is somewhere around 62 meters long, not that much smaller than this monster and at less than half the cost with mostly the same features, offensive weapons might be a bit different. But they could essentially get 2 Scorpenes for the price of one of these, even though the Spanish build some great naval assets, from what I understand, they actually are part of the Scorpene consortium.
Yes definitely the Scorpene is a better deal for Egypt..

DCNS_Scorpene_SSK_top.jpg



I see this S-80-plus more with KSA along the F-110 based frigates and some LPDs.. all with much valuable ToT by 2026..

f110.jpg


227_51.jpg
 
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It needs a lot of testing and examining.. it is certainly a solid design now. but let's give it 4-5 years to be really proven.. even the AIP is not installed on the first 2 subs.. not sure if it is ready or not..they say by 2026.. so all in all it is a future submarine to take into consideration but not an immediate purchase..

Yes definitely the Scorpene is a better deal for Egypt..

DCNS_Scorpene_SSK_top.jpg



I see this S-80-plus more with KSA along the F-110 based frigates and some LPDs.. all with much valuable ToT by 2026..

f110.jpg


227_51.jpg

I don't think they should wait until 2025 but go for it after testing it and examining it's capabilities. They can do that in 10-12 months
 
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