Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1258433
bow. Heavy Atlas Elektronik DM2A4 Seahake torpedoes will constitute the primary armament. These torpedoes can be used to act against both submarines as well as against surface threats. Boeing UGM-84G Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles, also capable of attacking land tar- gets, and SAES MINEA mines would complement the set of weapons available to the crew. The submarines are also expected to be prepared to launch the Raytheon UGM-109 Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles. All of the sensors and weapons are expected to be complemented in the future, with replaceable toolkits making it easier to carry out spe- cific tasks. The toolboxes include UAVs, anti-aircraft missiles fired out of the torpedo tubes, or UUVs dedicated to reconnaissance or mine- hunting activities. The final shape of these tools is still being defined jointly by Navantia and other businesses. It seems that once the fix scheme has been adopted, the problems re- lated to the building of the submarines have been rectified. Work on the first submarine of the series – Isaac Peral – is in progress now. Last year, work was accomplished concerning the hull. According to the information released back then by the Spanish Navy commander, the submarine is to be handed off in December 2021, with initial oper- ational capability expected to be obtained two years later. The second submarine - Narciso Monturiol - is to be delivered by June 2023. Cosme Garcia is to become a part of the Spanish Armada by July 2025, with Mateo Garcia de Los Reyes expected to be commissioned in July 2027. Despite the delays, the initial two vessels will not have the originally planned capabilities embedded, this refers to the AIP propulsion pri- marily. This is because the system in question is still under develop- ment. Cosme Garcia would be the first vessel fitted with AIP at the moment of launch. The first two submarines will be retrofitted with this system a few years after commissioning, during the first general overhaul. Spain is also working on the Medusa 300 R&D project. Its goal is to develop a fuel cell domestically. Nonetheless, it is said that the results won't be achieved until the end of the decade. It is difficult not to criticize the S-80 program. The delays happening in the case of this initiative greatly diminished the Spanish fleet's potential, also creating major problems when it comes to the modernization budget. Most probably, the two vessels planned to be built will also cost more. Meanwhile, the long term technical issues radically diminished the potential export opportunities. Throughout the recent years, S-80 and S-80 Plus were being offered in a few foreign tenders, needless to say, without successes. Landing Component The core of that component comes in the form of the Juan Carlos I landing helicopter dock (in service since 2010). It is also the Armada's www.fragoutmag.com