Cartagena’s S-81 Submarine Returns Home After First Nato Mission

The Spanish submarine S-81 Isaac Peral – built astatine nan shipyards of Navantia successful Cartagena – has returned to its location larboard aft completing its first world ngo arsenic portion of NATO’s Operation Sea Guardian. The deployment marks nan first clip S-81 has operated nether NATO bid and represents a awesome milestone for some nan Spanish Navy and Spain’s defence-industrial capabilities.

Over 46 days astatine sea, nan submarine logged an awesome 5,050 nautical miles and 840 hours submerged, demonstrating its endurance and stealth. During this time, it undertook maritime surveillance, intelligence-gathering and counter-terrorism tasks – halfway objectives of Operation Sea Guardian – thereby contributing to enhanced information crossed nan Mediterranean.

A awesome measurement for Spain’s naval manufacture and Mediterranean security

S-81 is nan lead alloy of nan S-80 Plus people – a procreation of submarines wholly designed and built successful Spain. This people features state-of-the-art systems including air-independent propulsion (AIP), a precocious grade of automation, debased sound and magnetic signatures, and nan capacity for long-duration operations acold from base.

With six NATO-standard 533 mm torpedo tubes, S-81 is tin of launching dense torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and – perchance – land-attack cruise missiles, arsenic good arsenic deploying naval mines. This makes nan submarine a versatile and potent plus for a wide assortment of missions, from anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare to intelligence and surveillance.

Its information successful Operation Sea Guardian – and its successful return – corroborate that S-81 is now afloat operational and fresh for integration into allied missions. According to Spain’s defence authorities, this underlines nan maturity and reliability of nan S-80 Plus programme.

For expatriates surviving successful Spain – particularly those successful coastal aliases maritime regions – nan return of S-81 is simply a tangible illustration of really Spain contributes to location information and defence. It besides underlines Spain’s increasing technological and business capacity successful submarine creation and construction, putting nan state among nan fewer tin of delivering specified precocious vessels.