Cartagena (Murcia), Spain; September 2026: Spain’s Council of Ministers has authorised an open-ended execution order, valued at an estimated €80 million, for the maintenance and obsolescence management of Galerna class surface ships and submarines supported by the Cartagena Arsenal. This measure will cover the Navy's maintenance needs until December 31, 2029, unless the available funds are exhausted beforehand.
The order covers incidental, preventive, and corrective maintenance work, as well as actions to manage equipment and system obsolescence. The Council of Ministers' statement does not specify the surface areas included, the technical scope of each intervention, or the work schedule.
The open formula establishes a framework for activating actions as the vessels' needs arise. The objective is to maintain their availability and operational capacity through scheduled maintenance, repairs, and work on equipment that may require replacement, upgrades, or maintenance solutions. Authorisation alone does not imply that specific actions have already been awarded for the total budgeted amount.
Obsolescence management is especially relevant for platforms that have been in service for years. The withdrawal of components from the market, the loss of manufacturing support, or the difficulty in obtaining spare parts can complicate maintenance and affect availability. The order incorporates this aspect alongside preventive and corrective maintenance tasks, although the government has not published the list of systems that will be monitored.
It is mention-worthy that, as of today (Friday – 25th September 2026) only one boat, the Galerna (S-71), remains in active service; the other three vessels (Siroco, Mistral, and Tramontana) have been decommissioned, with Tramontana being retired in February 2024.
The Council of Ministers links this maintenance to the Navy's ability to maintain freedom of action: the ability to decide how to employ the Armed Forces and their systems in accordance with national interests. In practice, the maintenance of the ships supported by the Cartagena Arsenal aims to ensure they can continue fulfilling their missions and that their systems remain available.
The authorisation expressly includes Galerna-class submarines, as well as surface vessels supported by the Cartagena Arsenal. The S-70 class has undergone service extensions and maintenance to sustain the Navy's submarine capability during the delay in the commissioning of its replacements.
The maintenance of submarines is also part of the gradual transition to the S-80 class, while the new order approved by the Government addresses the maintenance of ships and submarines that continue to be based at the Cartagena Arsenal. The authorisation was approved at the Council of Ministers meeting on September 22nd, 2026. Along with this order, the Council authorised other defence-related agreements, including a technical assistance framework for the Navy's Logistics Support Command, with an estimated value of 18 million euros.
Earlier, in November 2023 - Spanish shipbuilder Navantia delivered the first of four new ocean-going submarines that will provide the Spanish Navy with a long-awaited modern diesel-electric attack submarine (SSK) capability for the 21st century.
The S-80A Plus submarines are advanced SSKs that can conduct anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and perform an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance role. They have the potential for an added land-attack capability in the future with the acquisition of the Tomahawk cruise missile.
At the commissioning of Isaac Peral (S-81) Navantia stated that the second boat, Narciso Monturiol (S-82), was having the sections of its hull joined together at the same time as Cosme García (S-83) and Mateo García de los Reyes (S-84). The boats will be delivered in 2024, 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Key Specifications:
·Displacement: 1,490 tons surfaced / 1,750 tons submerged;
·Length: 67.9 meters (222 ft 9 in);
·Speed: Maximum 12 knots on the surface, up to 20.5 knots submerged;
·Range/Autonomy: Up to 9,000 nautical miles at 9 knots submerged; 45 days of provisions autonomy;
·Complement: Crew of roughly 68 to 70 officers and sailors;
·Armament: 4 torpedo tubes capable of launching up to 16–20 torpedoes or mines (including ECAN L5 and F17 models);
·Maximum Dive Depth: Approximately 300 meters.
Team Maverick.
