with thanks to Christine Betterton-Jones for the inspiration
Spanish navy ’ s newest project : a submarine rescue ship to protect underwater treasure The vessel , which has finally been given the green light by the Finance Ministry , will be able to locate shipwrecks off the coast and salvage wreckage from airplane crashes . A virtual recreation of the future submarine rescue ship . A virtual recreation of the future submarine rescue ship . Navantia Spain has invested € 3.9 billion on a new S-80 submarine , but does not have a ship capable of rescuing it . If there were to be a disaster like the one that sunk the Russian sub Kursk in 2000 or Argentina ’ s Ara San Juan in 2017 , Spain would have no proper way of helping the 40-strong crew . To address this problem , the Spanish government has authorized the construction of a new submarine rescue ship , but it will not be ready before 2024 .