Spanish Navy submarine Isaac Peral (S-81) sinks Infanta Elena with one torpedo in SINKEX 26
The Spanish Navy submarine Isaac Peral (S-81) sank the decommissioned offshore patrol vessel Infanta Elena (P-76) with a single heavy torpedo during the live-fire exercise SINKEX 26 in Atlantic waters near the Canary Islands. The Armada announced the result on 4 November 2026; specialised outlets placing the shot on the exercise timeline put the sinking on Monday, 2 November. This was a planned target shoot against a stricken hulk — not a combat loss and not an accident.
First S-80 boat proves a core combat capability
Isaac Peral is the lead boat of Spain’s nationally designed and Navantia-built S-80 (S-80 Plus) class. In its statement the Armada said the torpedo shot demonstrates one of the essential capabilities the submarine was built for: to operate stealthily and to respond with precision when required.
«Its true deterrent value lies in the silent certainty of its presence. The knowledge that a submarine could be patrolling invisibly anywhere within our waters — and that it possesses the capability to neutralize a threat from a great distance — serves, in itself, as one of the most effective mechanisms for ensuring security, without the need for a conflict to arise,» the Navy said.
Infodefensa and defensa.com identify the weapon as an Atlas Elektronik DM2A4 heavy wire-guided torpedo fired from the S-81’s 533 mm tubes. Exact launch range, depth and firing solution were not disclosed in the Armada release.
SINKEX 26 task group
The exercise exercised Submarine Force combat systems and joint work with the rest of the Fleet under near-combat conditions. Units listed by the Armada alongside Isaac Peral were:
- frigates Cristóbal Colón (F-105) and Navarra (F-85);
- multipurpose vessel Carnota (A-61);
- offshore patrol vessel Relámpago (P-43);
- the Mine Countermeasures Diving Unit;
- three AV-8B Harrier aircraft;
- a helicopter from the 10th Squadron;
- a ScanEagle UAV from the 11th Squadron;
- a maritime patrol aircraft from the Spanish Air and Space Force.
At-sea command rested with Captain Rafael Mira Calvo, Commander of the 41st Escort Squadron (COMANDES-41), and his staff embarked in Navarra.
From Cartagena to west of El Hierro
Infanta Elena began life as the third Descubierta-class corvette, launched by Bazán on 14 September 1976. After conversion she was reclassified as offshore patrol vessel P-76 on 13 January 2004, based at Cartagena for maritime security, pollution response, illegal-immigration monitoring and support to Spanish security forces.
According to defensa.com, Carnota (A-61) towed the hulk out of Cartagena Arsenal on the morning of 22 October 2026 to a firing area west of the El Hierro meridian, clear of normal shipping lanes. An acoustic signal-reproduction system was fitted and checked, and reusable equipment was removed beforehand.
Environmental safeguards
The Armada says the target underwent a full decontamination — removal of fuels, oils and potentially polluting components — before the shoot. The exercise area was assessed hydrographically and environmentally in advance, and a monitoring protocol for cetaceans and other protected species ran during the event, alongside measures to protect civilian navigation around the archipelago.
Official imagery
On 4 November the Armada’s official X account (@Armada_esp) released stills and video of the sinking and of the SINKEX 26 formation, including Isaac Peral on the surface with escorting surface ships.
Sources: Spanish Navy (Armada) press release, 4 Nov 2026; @Armada_esp; Naval News (PR reprint); Infodefensa; defensa.com. Cover photo: Spanish Navy / X.
Verified 5 November 2026. Sinking date 2 November; official announcement 4 November. Will be updated if the Armada releases further figures or coordinates.
