Navantia presents its S80 Plus Class submarine design to respond to the Indian P75I program launched by the Indian MoD (Ministry of Defense) for the acquisition of six conventional submarines with AIP (Air-independent propulsion). On January 2020, the Livefist Defence website has announced that the Indian MoD has shortlisted two Indian shipyards and five foreign submarine manufacturers for Project 75-India (P75I) submarine build program that envisages the construction of 6 new-generation attack submarines in India at a cost of over $6.3 billion.
Navantia’s experience in India as a submarine builder has the precedent of six Scorpene-Class units. This program was developed along with the French Naval Group (formerly DCNS) and the Mumbai CDM shipyard
The two local shipyards that were shortlisted are the privately owned L&T group and state-owned MDL. The five foreign defense companies are Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering DSME (South Korea), Navantia (Spain), Naval Group (France), Rubin Design Bureau (Russia), and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems TKMS (Germany).
The S-80 Plus class (or Isaac Peral class) is a Spanish class of four submarines in production by the Spanish company Navantia in its Cartagena shipyard for the Spanish Navy. Navantia expects to deliver the first S-80 Plus to the Spanish Navy in 2021.
The S-80’s air-independent propulsion (AIP) system is based on a bioethanol-processor consisting of a reaction chamber and several intermediate Coprox reactors. Provided by Hynergreen from Abengoa, the system transforms the bioethanol (BioEtOH) into high purity hydrogen. The output feeds a series of fuel cells from UTC Power company.
The S-80 Plus-class submarines have a full load displacement of 3,200 tons, a total length of 81.05 m (265.9 ft), a beam of 11.68 m (38.3 ft), and a draught of 6.20 m (20.3 ft). With a cruising speed of 12 knots, the S-80 Plus-class submarines offer a range of 8,000 nm. The submarine can accommodate 32 personnel (plus 8 troops). The S-80 Plus-class submarine is equipped with 6 × 533 mm torpedo tubes with DM2A4 torpedoes and Harpoon missiles.
