The S-80 was probably the project that pushed Navantia to its limits the most. In fact, the Australian LHD project was more acceptable compared to the technical and planning problems Spain faced in the production of the S-80. I don't remember all the details, but I remember that one of the main factors that multiplied the problems was that Spain started the construction of 3 submarines at the same time. While 20 years of torture is a very unpleasant memory for the Spanish navy, I think the most important question is what it has brought to Navantia and the other subcontractors and engineering offices involved in the project. Can we transfer this experience to MILDEN? In the context of the current intergovernmental relations and more importantly the geopolitics and common interests of the two countries, the answer could be yes.
There is another thing: The Turkish aircraft carrier (an unnamed but announced project by highest authority ) will also proceed with Navantia's expertise support. So we can talk about 'injecting' lot of money to third parties for collaborations. And this can opens many other doors. For both sides. Navantia has been paying close attention to all TN projects, big and small, for nearly 15 years. It is necessary to think about its reason, on a broader European scale, including DCNS, Fincantieri, TKMS.
The Turkish navy is planning to evolve, what I mean that from the current brand new LHD to a more advanced air operations platform, to an astronomical number of guided missile destroyers and later, frigates, if your scale is not the US or China, to modern AIP submarines, probably much heavier displacement, one step beyond the T-214, to a blue-water navy in general, both for special purposes or 'diplomacy'. Moreover, while the Turkish shipbuilding industry is already Europe's most important business partner in civilian specialized and high-tech ships, it is now trying to fulfill orders for military ships from Nigeria to Turkmenistan, Pakistan to Ukraine. For now, the orders are mostly for combatant or offshore patrol corvettes, but in a few years the majority of the order books will be frigates and perhaps submarines. The built-in capacity formed here is showing its effect very quickly in foreign markets as well. If you can get in the game here, or even better, if you are the only major partner here, it can create rapid project expansion and diversity without being dependent on projects that are supported by the defense ministry of the state to which the company belongs.
