The Diplomat
The construction of the Maritime Action Ship for Underwater Intervention (BAM-IS) for the Spanish Navy by Navantia, at the Puerto Real shipyard, will mean more than 1.3 million hours of work in the Bay of Cadiz, according to the company.
Yesterday, the Council of Ministers authorised the purchase of a seventh BAM-IS ship for the Navy for a total of 166 million euros.
In a note, Navantia indicates that the work on the BAM-IS, including the engineering work, will generate around 1,100 jobs over three and a half years, including direct, indirect and induced employment. Almost 160 will be direct employees of Navantia, some 300 will correspond to collaborating industry and another 660 will be generated in suppliers and other companies.
All this will mean that, for three and a half years, a direct and indirect added value for the economy of approximately 54 million euros per year will be generated, and an aggregate demand of 159 million euros per year.
The ship will be built at Navantia’s shipyard in Puerto Real, which specialises in large vessels. At the same time, Navantia is working on the Avante 2200 programme for Saudi Arabia at its San Fernando shipyard, the F-110 frigate programme for the Spanish Navy at the Ferrol shipyard and the S-80 submarine programme at the Cartagena shipyard.
The future BAM-IS will have among its missions diving, salvage, rescue support and rescue of damaged submarines, intervention and rescue in accidents and shipwrecks, and surveillance and monitoring of underwater heritage.
Navantia indicated that the construction of this vessel represents a challenge from the point of view of the integration of the systems, sensors and equipment it must carry in order to tackle its wide range of missions. It will therefore represent a new technological advance for Navantia, which already has recognised experience as a systems integrator, and will enable it to expand its product catalogue and potential markets.
Finally, he pointed out that ships with underwater intervention capabilities are expected to be a product with a growing international demand given the expected increase in the number of submarines.
