Weapons Launch System for Spanish S-80 Submarines Achieves Milestone

Babcock International has completed delivery, on-schedule, of all six of the internal slide valve lengths for the Weapon Handling and Launch System (WHLS) for the first of the new Spanish S-80 submarines.

These items (part of a new design for the S-80) are the first major elements of system hardware to be delivered, marking an important milestone in the project.

Babcock was contracted in 2006 to design and supply the WHLS (including four sets of weapon handling and discharge equipment, and a set of weapon embarkation equipment) for the four planned S-80 air-independent propulsion/diesel electric hybrid submarines, being built for the Spanish Navy (Armada Española) by Navantia.

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