Cartagena
Spanish Mediterranean port in Murcia and the Spanish Navy's main Mediterranean base and submarine yard
Cartagena's naval base sought bids on 7 October 2026 for refitting two Sparus II underwater robots, closing 23 October. The base also homes the Spanish Navy's submarine and mine countermeasures forces.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026
Timeline for Cartagena
Mentioned in: Belgium buys Exail mine kit for Ukraine
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaBackground
Cartagena is a port city on Spain's Mediterranean coast and the second most populous municipality in the Region of Murcia, with 219,235 residents in 2024. The Carthaginian general Hasdrubal re-founded it around 227 BC as Kart-hadasht, and in 1728 it became the capital of the Spanish Navy's Maritime Department of the Mediterranean.
The Arsenal of Cartagena is the navy's main Mediterranean base and the home port of its submarine force and its mine countermeasures force. Navantia's Cartagena yard builds the four S-80 Plus submarines; the first, Isaac Peral, was commissioned on 30 November 2023.
That mix of submarines and minehunters makes the city a buyer of underwater robots. A tender issued there on 7 October 2026 seeks a refit of two Sparus II underwater drones, with offers due by 23 October (TED 691082-2026). It was one of several small European subsea buys in public notices that autumn.