Spain signs $500M-plus deal for SIRTAP drones from Airbus

BELFAST — Spain has ordered 27 SIRTAP tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS) from Airbus in a deal “close to” €495 million ($543 million), marking a major modernization of airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for the country’s army and air force.

The manufacturer said in a statement today that the newly signed contract with the Spanish Ministry of Defence will cover nine systems total. Each “system” includes three UAS vehicles and one ground control station. Madrid will also receive two simulators as part of the contract.

The Spanish Ministry of Defence announced the value of the contract on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and said the aircraft will enter service in 2026 — an aggressive timeline considering Airbus only plans to have a prototype in the air by 2025.

A company spokesperson told Breaking Defense that “it is too early to confirm the exact location” of the prototype flight. Similarly, the manufacturer has not decided on which facility it will use to produce the systems.

Acquisition of SIRTAP will allow for the replacement of Israeli-made Spanish Army Searcher MkII aircraft and increase Spanish Air Force ISR drone capabilities alongside addition to US-designed Predator drones it already flies.

According to Airbus, the SIRTAP has a payload over 150 kilograms (330 pounds), a range beyond 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) and an endurance in excess of 20 hours. Designed primarily for ISR over land and sea, SIRTAP can operate from short or unprepared runways and also be used for day and night operations.

Additionally, guided and unguided weapons can be optionally equipped on the UAS but are not part of the Spanish order.

“This new technological milestone in the tactical UAS segment together with the Spanish Ministry of Defence, will reinforce national sovereignty,” Jean-Brice Dumont, head of military air systems at Airbus Defence and Space, said in the company statement.

The manufacturer also said that SIRTAP will support “national industry” ambitions aligned with developing Future Combat Air System (FCAS)/SCAF Remote Carriers — different adjunct aircraft or loyal wingmen expected to support Next Generation Fighter (NGF) sixth generation combat jets, once they enter service with partner nations France, Germany and Spain from 2040.

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Airbus also has a memorandum of understanding in place with Colombia that covers a potential SIRTAP order and analysis of an in-country work package, but the company spokesperson told Breaking Defense that “the formalization of binding contractual agreements is still pending.”

Serbia has expressed interest in the aircraft too, “and we are holding discussions in that regard,” added the spokesperson.

“The level of participation and ways of collaboration with a new country joining a program have to be defined based on the commitment and agreements between both parties,” the spokesperson said.

Talks between Serbia and Airbus over SIRTAP first emerged in July 2023 and also include potential joint production by Belgrade of H125M helicopters, according to Janes.