The submarine ‘Isaac Peral’ (S-81) arrives at Cartagena successfully wrapping up its first international mission

As part of NATO's Operation ‘Sea Guardian’, 840 hours of underwater sailing and more than 5,050 nautical miles are clear proof of the full operational capability of this Spanish submarine.

The submarine ‘Isaac Peral’ (S-81) has just returned to its base in Cartagena after spending 46 intense days sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, for the first time under NATO’s operational control and as part of Operation ‘Sea Guardian’. With its arrival in port, the deployment concludes with a total of 840 hours submerged and having sailed more than 5,050 nautical miles, demonstrating the full operational capability of this modern Spanish submarine. Furthermore, during this deployment the boat conducted an endurance cruise, a demanding test designed to verify the capabilities of the Armada's new units in fulfilling the tasks for which they were designed.

At the head of the submarine and its crew was Lieutenant Commander Fernando Clavijo, who repeatedly emphasized with great satisfaction, "the importance of this milestone in the defense industry, since our 'Isaac Peral' is a vessel of entirely indigenous design and construction". He also thanked the crew members "for their commitment and excellent work during this important mission, as nothing would have been possible without their dedication, generosity and spirit of service."

Today, in the port of the Cartagena, the submarine and its crew received a warm welcome in a ceremony presided over by the commander of the Armada's Submarine Flotilla —Captain Alfonso Carrasco Santos— and where members of the Submarine Force were also present, along with their families who occupied a prominent place in the front row. All of them eagerly awaited the reunion with the sailors of the 'Isaac Peral' with great emotion and pride, and thank them for their contribution to achieve an effective awareness of the maritime domain, also supporting the fight against terrorism in waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Four Months of Sailing for the History Books

This voyage of the `Isaac Peral` is now part of the history of the Armada, as it is the first time this submarine has participated under the operational control of the Alliance. Thanks to its advanced technology, which guarantees its complete discretion and stealth, the vessel has carried out surveillance tasks without disrupting the daily operations of other surface units, while also being able to locate and identify illicit activities within its area of operations in the Mediterranean.

During its deployment, the submarine has remained at periscope depth, with the aim of maximizing intelligence gathering for the benefit of the mission. Among the most significant milestones, numerous vessels have been identified and reported to NATO. Furthermore, naval activity in the Mediterranean Sea has been monitored, including the main sea lines of communication, activity in different ports, and key fishing grounds, among many other activities.

Regarding port calls, the S-81 made three international stops during its deployment. First, at the end of October, the boat arrived at the port of Augusta in Sicily, Italy. Later, in November, the ‘Isaac Peral’ made a historic port call in Alexandria, Egypt, as it had been 91 years since a Spanish submarine had docked in this North African country. Finally, a few days later, it made a rest stop for the submarine and its crew at the Souda Naval Base in Crete, Greece, from where it departed for Cartagena having successfully completed its assigned mission.

Finally, during its last days at sea, the submarine participated in the ASW exercises “MARBORÁN,” where it conducted training activities with other Spanish surface units: the frigates ‘Blas de Lezo’ (F-103) and ‘Numancia’ (F-83), as well as the veteran and still operational submarine ‘Galerna’ (S-71).

Now, the ‘Isaac Peral’ is docked in its Base and its commander, Lt-Cdr Clavijo emphasized that its crew can now enjoy “a well-deserved rest to spend time with their families and regain their strength to prepare the submarine for the next mission.” Many hours of effort, preparation, and enthusiasm went into undertaking this first international operational mission, which demonstrates the technological development of the Spanish S-80 program and “will always remain in our memories. We are very proud of what we have achieved, and we will continue on this successful path.”

Allied Maritime Security Operation ‘Sea Guardian’

Since 2017, Spain has participated continuously in Operation ‘Sea Guardian,’ underscoring its commitment to collective security and stability in the Mediterranean. This clearly demonstrates Spain’s commitment to fighting terrorism and ensuring security against shared threats with our allies to guarantee international stability. It is worth noting that Spain, as a partner fully committed to the European security and defense, is one of the main contributors to this NATO initiative.

In this context, the first deployment of the submarine ‘Isaac Peral’ within this NATO operation has been a decisive contribution to strengthening the awareness of the maritime domain, supporting the fight against terrorism, and building regional maritime security capabilities.