Contedicavour said:
Questions for our Spanish friends
> status of F100 programme - is the 5th validated and funding granted ?
The F-105 was approved by the Cabinet in September of 2005, the funding in June of 2006.
The ship is being built by Navantia-Ferrol at this moment.
Contedicavour said:
> what about the rumoured 6th F100 ?
Desired and reclaimed by the Navy, Syndicates of Workers, and the Xunta of Galicia, the sixth F-100 frigate remain pending of the Cabinet decision over its approval and funding.
Contedicavour said:
> S80s : only 4 will be built or more ? With the Daphnes gone, there are 4 Agosta left. But I wouldn't be surprised to see Spain investing in more than 4 SSKs
Only four s-80A have been approved and funded by the Cabinet. At this time we don't have any indications of a hypothetical approval of a second batch of S-80s in short-term. Nevertheless is a known desire of the Navy have at least two more submarines of a improved version of the S-80A. But it seen the precedent of the delay in the approval of the F-106... I'm very sceptical in which we see advances in this question at least in the next few years.
Contedicavour said:
> OHP Santa Maria update : are ESSMs being installed ?
No.
The ESSM never were considered in the MLU of the Santa María class.
Remain to be seen if the two younger F-80s ( F-85 Navarra & F-86 Canarias) receive finally the SM-2 (using the Mk-13 launcher) capability, like was commented some time ago.
old said:
It includes new radars, the last version of the SM1 and ECM of last generation proceeding from the class F100
Eh... Yes and No.
The Nettunel ECM system will be discarded, being replaced by the Rigel EW system (with ESM capacities but without any ECM capability).
The older ships will receive the SM-1MR Block VI after the MLU, but remain to be see if the younger ships already using those, will be modified to use the SM-2 or will continue using the SM-1...
The radar Raytheon 1650/9 has been replaced by a new LPI Radar (Indra Aries maybe?).
And many more things... New MTUs, Structural Integrity Revision, Reformed Extinction System, New Batteries, IFF Mod. 5, Modernization of the FCS (Mk.92), Reformed Com & SatCom Systems, etc...
old said:
Submarines S80: 04 Units of the first lot in construction and 02 units m of the second, when they withdraw all the S70
The Galerna class will be replaced by the first batch of S-80s whatever say the Goverment or the Navy to the media.
The reason is simple and evident: The S-80s will be commissioned between 2013 and 2015 (official calendar), and by then the S-70s will have more than 30 years of service in its hulls. To maintain them in active for a few years beyond 2015, awaiting its replacement by the second batch of the S-80s or a new class S-90, that in no case would come before 2017, is IMO dangerous, expensive and unreasonable.
Especially when the S-70s suffers at this moment from problems of availability and they have had more than one serious accident, although fortunately without casualties. Take your pick, but IMHO the S-70 class will be retired long before the second batch of S-80s will be finished (and remains without official approval or funding at this time).
This slope.
