Navantia Boat Achieves Important Milestone
The S-81 Isaac Peral submarine, the most advanced so far destined for the Spanish Navy, built by Navantia, conducted its first static dive tests on 30 March at the La Algameca naval station.
This successful first dive, which took place in line with the schedule agreed with the Navy and the MoD, allowed for the boat’s displacement, draughts and both transverse and longitudinal stability to be determined and verified. It constitutes an important milestone in the construction and testing phase of the S-80 programme, following surface navigation trials and preceding submerged trials.
The eight-hour test took place in three phases, culminating in an open sea dive. Testing will now continue until the boat is delivered to the Navy. “With its first static dive, the S-81 has passed a key milestone on the way to its full operational capability. The close collaboration between Navantia, the Navy and the Ministry of Defence is making it possible to make steady progress in the greatest challenge ever faced by Spanish industry,” commented Ricardo Domínguez, Navantia President.
Named after Isaac Peral y Caballero, a nineteenth-century Spanish naval officer, engineer and developer of the Peral submarine, launched in 1888, the S-81 will bring advanced underwater warfare capabilities to the Spanish Navy. It is the first of four S-80 Plus-class submarines being built by Navantia.
