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Navantia completes S-83 trials of third-generation AIP system designed to keep Spanish Navy submarines submerged for weeks
Navantia has completed land-based trials of the third-generation air-independent propulsion system intended for S-83 Cosme García, the third S-80-class submarine. Testing at Cartagena used the final onboard configuration to simulate operational depth and speed while verifying power generation and battery charging with liquid oxygen and bioethanol. The roughly 12-metre, 400-tonne propulsion section will now be integrated into the pressure hull before launch and harbour acceptance trials. The system is designed to keep the submarine submerged for weeks, reducing exposure and improving survivability during long-duration Spanish Navy missions.