The Spanish Navy Needs More Submarines

The Spanish Navy has only one Agosta-class submarine, the Galerna, currently in operation, and it commissioned the first of four planned S-80-class submarines, the Isaac Peral, in 2023 after several years of delays in the S-80 program.

Spain has more than 8,000 miles of coastline in the Mediterranean Sea to the east and the Atlantic to the north and west. Geopolitically, these coasts are strategic, as the Strait of Gibraltar separates Europe from Africa and divides the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

Spain’s geostrategic situation and current events around the world call for more submarines.

Why Submarines?

Submarines are crucial to a modern navy. Their stealth allows them to control strategic sea lanes, project power ashore, gather intelligence, and adapt to multiple roles, all of which contribute to national security and a nation’s ability to defend its interests and deter potential threats.

In World War I, German submarines inflicted significant damage on the Allies, forcing adjustments in navigation strategies and spurring the development of new technologies to counter them. During World War II, they remained decisive, especially in the Pacific. In the Falklands War, the sinking of the Argentine Navy cruiser General Belgrano by HMS Conqueror was an important element of the British victory.

In today’s context, where control of the oceans is essential to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime commerce, submarines play a vital role in the naval strategy of NATO, which sees maritime security as a critical element for international peace and prosperity. In addition, in strategic locations such as the Strait of Gibraltar, through which approximately 10 percent of the world’s maritime trade passes—including a significant amount of oil and gas—submarines are essential to maintaining stability and safe passage for commerce, underlining their importance to the global economy.

How Many Does Spain Need?

How many submarines Spain needs is affected by several variables, some nonoperational—for example, the time between overhauls or major maintenance. Another variable is patrol frequency and duration, which depends on range, in terms of both fuel and supplies.

Having established these variables, the next consideration is the submarines’ action areas. To cover all Spain’s waters in the exclusive economic zones of the Balearic-Gibraltar-Canary Islands axis and deployments in the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea would require up to three submarines in operation.

The 1977 General Plan for the Spanish Navy and the Altamar Plan of 1990 resulted in a capable and balanced Cold War Spanish Navy that included eight submarines. It is interesting to compare that with the submarine forces of Spain and Algeria—its cross-strait neighbor and Russian ally—today. (See Table 1.)

Compared with Algeria, Spain has taken a step backward.

These numbers, the current global insecurity, the areas to be covered, the submarines’ range, and the long periods of maintenance speak to the need for a Spanish submarine flotilla of eight units.

Submarines have proven to be an essential component of naval strategy, enhanced by technological advances and the introduction of new weapons such as guided torpedoes, land-attack cruise missiles, and antiship missiles. Spain will soon have four new S-80-class units, allowing partial control of the Strait of Gibraltar and providing deterrence through their land-attack capability. It needs more. It needs eight—four S-80 class and another four of an improved class of similar size or extra-large uncrewed underwater vehicles.