Spain’s navy will explore the potential use of the Airbus Defence & Space-developed SIRTAP uncrewed air vehicle (UAV) from its flagship vessel, Juan Carlos I.
Announcing the joint initiative on 28 January, the European airframer says the activity “aims to be the first step to guarantee the interoperability of SIRTAP with the rest of the systems of the [aircraft] carrier”.
Future work will include integrating the UAV’s command and control equipment with the ship’s onboard combat system, along with “navigation support, including take-off and landing operations”.
“This joint effort seeks to achieve a fully integrated system, ensuring complete compatibility between SIRTAP and Juan Carlos I, increasing its mission capabilities, operational flexibility, and the overall effectiveness of both platforms in diverse operational scenarios,” Airbus Defence & Space says.
Being developed in Spain, the SIRTAP platform is due to enter operational use with the nation’s armed forces from 2027. A total of 27 UAVs will be supplied via a €495 million ($516 million) development and production deal signed in 2013, along with nine ground control stations.
Flight testing using a first prototype is due to begin before the end of 2025.
Once operational, the single-engined type will perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks, and could also carry armaments using four underwing hardpoints.
With a maximum take-off weight of 750kg (1,650lb), including a payload capacity of more than 180kg, the SIRTAP platform should have an endurance of over 20h when operating at around 21,000ft, its developer says.
Equipped with a ski-jump ramp to support operations of the Spanish navy’s short take-off and vertical landing Boeing AV-8B+ Harrier IIs, Juan Carlos I is a 231m (757ft)-long landing helicopter dock vessel with a displacement of 26,000t.
Images released on X by Airbus’s defence unit show that a full-scale model of the aircraft has already been aboard the Spanish navy vessel in support of the planned future test activity.
Spain follows numerous other nations in exploring the potential use of tactical UAVs from naval vessels. Turkey’s Baykar Technologies late last year conducted a first flight of its TB3 design from the TCG Anadolu, while the UK Royal Navy has trialled the use of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ Mojave on the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.
