Airbus Defence & Space expects to complete final assembly work early next year on a first prototype SIRTAP unmanned air vehicle (UAV) for the Spanish military.
Newly established at its Getafe plant near Madrid, its final assembly line will initially focus on completing two such test assets.
“The large components for the manufacture of the first prototype have started to arrive in Getafe,” the company says, noting that these are “mainly of Spanish origin, such as the fuselage and wings”.
Scheduled for completion “in spring 2025”, the lead aircraft will undergo ground-based testing before being transferred to Moguer, near Huelva, southwest Spain, for a flight-test campaign due to commence before the end of 2025.
Madrid will field nine systems – each including three UAVs and a ground control station – with service entry previously having been set for 2027. Its acquisition is valued at €495 million ($522 million).
“SIRTAP will reinforce the tactical capabilities of the Spanish armed forces,” says the developer, which completed a critical design review activity earlier this year.
Once operational, the new system will be able to conduct a variety of tasks, ranging from maritime and border surveillance to search and rescue and supporting Madrid’s response to natural disasters and fires.
Meanwhile, Airbus’s defence unit says a critical design review has recently been completed on a pair of simulators which will be used to prepare SIRTAP operators.
