The BAC II will be the new supply ship in Spanish combat. And will have a digital twin

After being announced almost a year and a half, the Council of Ministers has approved The execution order for the design and construction of a new supply ship in combat of the Spanish Navy. It is a notable project for its budget, but also for its impact on Spanish defense and naval industry.

BAC II. This new supply ship will be the third of this type with which Spain will have for logistics missions, after the A-14 Patiño and the A-15 Cantabria. The BAC II will in fact replace the Patiño, which was built in 1993 in the Ferrol shipyards and that faces the last third of its life cycle.

Galicia and Ferrol protagonists. The contract has been awarded to The public company Navantiawhich will be carried out in its Ferrol shipyards (La Coruña). That will have a clear positive impact on the employment sector, and according to Pedro Sánchez its construction will imply three million hours of work, it will generate some 1,800 jobs and some 300 companies will participate, 175 of them Galicians. The project has a budget of 650 million euros.

Based on Cantabria. The new ship will be based on Cantabria, thrown in 2008 and delivered to the Navy in July 2010. The BAC II will have a 174 -meter length, a 23 -meter sleeve and an 8 -meter draft. It will have an endowment of 164 people and can displace up to 19,500 tons: only the LHD ‘Juan Carlos I’ carrier exceeds it throughout the Navy. It will also be propelled by two diesel engines of 10,890 kW each, which will allow it to reach a maximum speed of 21.3 knots (almost 40 km/h) and an autonomy of 6,000 nautical miles.

A very prepared ship. This logistics capacity is complemented by five supply stations (two for each band and one for the stern). It has a crane for movement of containers of up to 20 tons in addition to two others of general load movement and three load elevators. It has a flight cover and a hangar beanger for medium and heavy -type helicopters. It has wastewater treatments, garbage treatment and also a hospital area with intensive care room with four beds, fully equipped consultation and operating room.

What does a supply ship. As its predecessors, the BAC II will be destined for fuel supply, food, spare parts and ammunition to the rest of the Navy units, allowing all of them to remain at high seas for long periods.

Digital twin. The BAC II will have a “digital twin“, An advanced and dynamic virtual representation of the ship itself. This digital twin receives real -time information from the ship’s systems and sensors, allowing to visualize its status, analyze data and simulate various situations. The latter is especially useful for the formation of the crew but also to test new solutions without risks or costs associated with physical tests.

Deadlines. The design of the BAC II will begin immediately and the objective is that its construction can begin in 2026 and be fully operational in 2030, thus coinciding with the withdrawal of the A-14 Patiño.

A reinforcement for the Spanish defense industry. This project is approved while interest in Increase defense spending in Europe and Spain. NATO has set the target of defense spending in 2% of GDP, but Trump warned that I had to rise to 5%. In Spain it moves In 1.32%but the goal is to reach 2% in the late decade.

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