In race for key Navy deal, Spanish firm displays S-80 AIP submarine

Under the military acquisition project, the Indian Navy seeks to buy six advanced submarines by 2030 at an estimated cost of Rs 43,000 crore to counter China and Pakistan. The operational deadline for the first submarine is 2026.

Navantia showcased the AIP integration on an under-construction Spanish Navy submarine in Cartagena, Spain, on November 26. Also bidding for the Indian Navy deal is Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, which has partnered with Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited to offer its Type 214 and Type 212 CD submarines, both of which also feature the AIP.

The firm’s chief of commercial and business development, Jose Manual Mondejar, said teams from the Indian Navy also visited the construction site earlier this year for a field evaluation trial. According to sources, the Defence Ministry has set up a committee to look into it.

The AIP system, also known as BEST (Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology), is considered the next-gen technology in conventional submarines. Using bio-ethanol to generate oxygen, which sustains the crew and powers fuel combustion, BEST can provide submarines with up to 21 days of underwater endurance.

The reporter visited the Navantia shipyard in Cartagena, Spain, at the firm’s invitation.