New Spanish submarines to be fitted with Exail navigation system
The S-80A SSK design for the Spanish Navy is based on the Franco-Spanish S-80 Scorpene. (Image: Exail)
Spain’s S-80A or Isaac Peral-class SSKs are being built to replace the Spanish Navy’s existing Agosta 90B-class SSKs which were designed in the 1970s and built in the mid-1980s. The original S-80 programme has suffered considerable delays, with the first S-80s only entering service in late-2023.
Exail has been awarded a contract by Navantia to supply its Gecdis-W Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System (WECDIS) for the four Spanish Navy Isaac Peral-class S-80 Plus-class submarines.
The integration of Exail Gecdis-W system has been designed to enhance the submarines’ capabilities, supporting the crew with electronic navigational charts.
ECDIS software is IMO-certified and fully compliant with NATO’s STANAG standards. The Gecdis-W system will serve as a cooperative navigational asset for the Spanish Navy during sea-based military operations.
Related Articles
Spanish Navy still waits for new submarines
Spain says farewell to the last of its Galerna-class submarines
Alexandre Maia, regional sales manager for Exail, said: “[The system] is aligned with the S-80 submarines’ core design objectives of stealth, endurance and operational flexibility in remote and potentially hostile areas.
“The WECDIS system is set to contribute to the operational effectiveness and safety in submarine navigation within challenging underwater environments.”
Exail has already been selected to equip all of the platforms of the French Navy, as well as platforms of the navies of Latvia, India, Greece, the UAE and New Zealand, with naval navigation systems.
Of the four boats only the first has been commissioned, Isaac Peral (S-81). The second, Narciso (S-82), will be expected to be commissioned later this year, with the following two scheduled for 2026 and 2027.
In February 2024, during a conference organised by El Confidencial, Admiral Ricardo Hernandez, head of Logistic Support of the Spanish Navy, stated that one of the main targets of the next decade was to procure two more S-80s despite budgetary hurdles.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Isaac Peral Class (S-80A Plus) [Spain]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Euronaval 2026: Red Cat’s Blue Ops follows USV demand from Asia to the Andes]()
Euronaval 2026: Red Cat’s Blue Ops follows USV demand from Asia to the Andes
With its B-26 USV in full-rate production, Blue Ops is seeking to turn overseas interest into orders through a combination of lower operating costs, UAV integration and local manufacturing.
-
![Euronaval 2026: Baltic breakthrough powers Saildrone’s next European expansion]()
Euronaval 2026: Baltic breakthrough powers Saildrone’s next European expansion
Denmark’s doubled deployment, Mediterranean smuggling routes and Norwegian composite hulls show where uncrewed surveillance demand is heading, while British funding remains unclear.
-
![From Chokepoints to the Deep: ASELSAN’s Naval Vision at EURONAVAL]()
From Chokepoints to the Deep: ASELSAN’s Naval Vision at EURONAVAL
From deployable ship defence to autonomous sea and underwater vehicles, ASELSAN is preparing for a new era of naval security.
-
![Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift]()
Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift
The 50m, six-person ship from the Italian shipbuilder carries swappable, containerised payloads instead of a fixed mission, reflecting a shift that is becoming increasingly evident.
