Babcock International has assisted its customer Navantia in the construction of the first S-80 class submarine for the Spanish Navy, reaching a major milestone with the unveiling of the boat in Cartagena on 22 April, the company writes in a statement.
The S-80 programme is the first modern submarine of Spanish design and will deliver a state of the art underwater capability to the service. Babcock helped to deliver the Weapon Handling and Discharge Equipment (WHDE) and Acoustic Countermeasures Launchers (ACM) for the four boat class.
Throughout design and build stages, Babcock developed a bespoke Spanish supply chain to manufacture a significant amount of equipment for the S-80. The weapon tube Outboard Lengths and the Weapon Embarkation Equipment were the largest pieces of equipment manufactured in-country. Babcock will continue to produce a significant amount of equipment in Spain for the remaining boats on the programme.
The first submarine which was unveiled on 22 April will be named ISSAC PERAL (S-81). It is expected to be delivered in 2022 and be followed by the:
- NARISO MONTURIOL (S-82)
- COSME GARCIA (S-83)
- MATERO GARCIA DE LOS REYES (S-84)
Jack Richardson
