Tag Archives: Agosta submarine

315,144 Miles Under Red & Gold

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The Spanish Navy over the weekend decommissioned the Agosta-class SSK Tramontana, capping a career that began in 1985.

One of four DCNI S-70 Agostas built under license in Spain at the Cartagena dockyard, in her career, Tramontana sailed 315,144 nautical miles, 218,384 of those while submerged.

Besides her Cold War career and her role in the very curious 2002 Perejil Island crisis, she clocked in on a myriad of NATO missions over the years including the 2011 Libyan blockade (Operation Unified Protector) as well as the more recent NATO Active Endeavor and Sea Guardian/European Union’s Operation Sophia counter migrant smuggling efforts.

Consoussiours of bad 1980s/90s action films will perhaps recognize Tramontana from the Charlie Sheen vehicle, Navy SEALS, where she subbed for an American boat.

She was decommissioned on 16 February 2024 at Cartagena Arsenal submarine base with VADM Pedro Luis de la Puente García-Gang in attendance.

Slated to be disarmed and stripped of anything usable or still classified, Tramontana will be expended as a target at some future date.

Only class member Galerna (S-71), commissioned in 1983, remains in Spanish service, with sisters Siroco (S 72) and Mistral (S 73) already discarded.

The class will be replaced by the four new Isaac Peral/DCNI S80 Plus Scorpène AIP variants under construction.

Pakistan pops off their first submarine launched nuclear-capable missile

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PNS/M Hamza (S139) – built in Pakistan, commissioned 14 August 2006. She is a a modernized and long–range air-independent powered Agosta–90B class submarine designed and developed through a joint venture between the French DCNS and Pakistan's KSEW Ltd

PNS/M Hamza (S139) – built in Pakistan, commissioned 14 August 2006. She is a a modernized and long–range air-independent powered Agosta–90B class submarine designed and developed through a joint venture between the French DCNS and Pakistan’s KSEW Ltd

In the latest case of keeping up with the Indians– who launched their first nuclear-capable, submarine-launched missile in 2008, Pakistan did the same last week by launching a home-grown SLCM roughly comparable to the early variants of the Tomahawk.

Reuters 

The Pakistani military said the Babur-3 missile was “capable of delivering various types of payloads and will provide Pakistan with a Credible Second Strike Capability, augmenting deterrence”.

An army spokesman later confirmed the language meant the missile was equipped to carry nuclear warheads.

The Babur-3 is a sea-based variant of the ground-launched Babur-2 missile, which was tested in December. The military said the missile had features such as “underwater controlled propulsion and advanced guidance and navigation”

The Submarine Command of the Pakistani Navy have five French Agosta-class diesel submarines, including three built locally to an AIP design. Further, they have eight 2,300-ton Hangor-class boats they are building in conjunction with China.

It is believed one of the AIP Agostas, PNS/M Khalid (S137), fired the Babur-3, which is thought to have a 200~ mile range.