(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — After serving for 35 years with the Spanish Navy, the Agosta-class submarine named “Mistral” owned by the country’s navy has been put up for auction by the disposal agency in Cartagena (a region in the country) at a starting price of US$150,000 (RM675,000).
Despite being auctioned at RM675,000, there have been no takers so far for the submarine, which had its license revoked from Spanish Navy service in mid-2020.
The Spanish Navy intends to sell the submarine to a company specializing in scrap iron disposal after removing various equipment and mission systems from the involved submarine.
Essentially, the Spanish Navy wants to sell the “Mistral” submarine as scrap metal only.
However, despite offering it as scrap metal, no one has come forward to purchase it.
In Cartagena, a civic body has proposed placing the submarine’s bow and sail, housing the periscope and communication tower, in a roundabout in the city.
This initiative arose when local authorities in Cartagena proposed turning another decommissioned Spanish Navy submarine, the “Tonina,” into a museum in collaboration with the shipbuilding company Navantia and the Spanish Navy.
The “Mistral” submarine was retired by the Spanish Navy on June 10, 2022, and has been stationed in Cartagena since its “retirement.”
Since its retirement, with the support of the company Navantia, the Spanish Navy has been dismantling various equipment and systems from the “Mistral” submarine for use as replacements for two still-operational submarines, the S-71 Galerna and S-74 Tramontana.
Some of the equipment and systems from the “Mistral” submarine will also be handed over to the Admiral Mateo Garcia de los Reyes Submarine School for training Spanish Navy submarine crews.
The “Mistral” submarine is the third of four Agosta-90B submarines, also known as the Galerna class using French design.
Apart from Spain, Agosta-90B submarines are also used by the French Navy and the Pakistani Navy. It was constructed at the E. N Based shipyard in Cartagena starting in November 1983.
The Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) has also operated Agosta-class submarines for a short period as a training platform for our submarine crews before they were sufficiently trained to operate the Scorpene-class submarines.
Now, the Agosta-class submarine has been turned into a submarine museum and is located in Melaka for public visits.
Measuring between 68 to 70 meters and weighing 1,760 tons, the “Mistral” submarine, which began service with the Spanish Navy in 1977, can accommodate a crew of 70 people and is equipped with 16 torpedoes and Exocet SM39 anti-ship guided missiles.
Throughout its 35 years of service with the Spanish Navy, the “Mistral” submarine spent a total of 3,039 days at sea, covering a distance of 243,468 nautical miles, with 69,289 hours, including 43,776 hours submerged. – DSA
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