Spanish Submarines too heavy

[August]

http://www.stripes.com/news/navy/con...h-sub-1.224531

By Jennifer McDermott

Published: June 5, 2013

GROTON, Conn. — The first of the Spanish Navy’s four new submarines is too heavy and Electric Boat has been asked to help.
The U.S. Navy hired Electric Boat as the contractor for a foreign military sales agreement with the Spanish Ministry of Defence, in support of the Spanish Navy, according to a statement the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command issued Monday.
The agreement is worth up to $14 million, an official at the Embassy of Spain who is familiar with the contract said. EB will provide technical assistance and review the S-80 Submarine project for almost three years, the official added.
The S-80 Submarine is Spain’s first submarine design. According to Spanish press reports, the S-81 Isaac Peral, the first member of the class, is at least 75 tons overweight. The diesel-electric submarine weighs 2,400 tons submerged and the excess weight could prevent it from surfacing after it dives.

[Subnuts]

Would be more surprised if a brand-new piece of military hardware came out of the factory under weight.

[Mr Quatro]

America should purchase the S-81 to protect the Great Lakes
due to no salt water it would be lighter.

Didn't WWII boats have a problem submerging in the Great Lakes, I think so

We already have a thread on this: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=204621

[August]

Didn't make much of a splash over there. Probably won't here either.

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

America should purchase the S-81 to protect the Great Lakes
due to no salt water it would be lighter.

Didn't WWII boats have a problem submerging in the Great Lakes, I think so

In fresh water it would be less buoyant.



However, 75 tons is only 3%; that doesn't seem like a fatal margin to me.

... the excess weight could prevent it from surfacing after it dives.

This seems exaggerated. Unless the problem is worse than they admit.

[Stealhead]

Mr Quatro is thinking of the Manitowoc Shipyard on Lake Michigan they built some of the Gato and Baolos there.The Navy would run their acceptance trials on Lake Michigan.These subs where never inteded to patrol the great lakes they just where built there.

According to "The Fleet Submarine in the US Navy" in order to compensate for the lower density of fresh water they where ballasted.In other words they added weight that of course would later be removed.That was done because they where trying to simulate the higher deisty of sea water without having to change the performance of all the pumps.If a sub where designed for fresh water it would need faster pumps.

Manitowoc boats where the best finished boats of any yard that made subs during WWII.That was due to worker pride and craftsmanship or really craftswomanship because most Manitowoc workers where women.

[Catfish]

Maybe they subconsciously built them that way, so the new spanish fleet can have a good look at the old spanish armada ?