Airbus has signed a contract with the Spanish Ministry of Defence for the development and acquisition of SIRTAP, a High Performance Tactical UAS that will reinforce the tactical capabilities of the Spanish Army and the Air and Space Force.

This contract includes a total of nine systems, each consisting of three unmanned aerial vehicles and one ground control station. Furthermore, two simulators will be supplied to train the Spanish Armed Forces.

“This new technological milestone in the tactical UAS segment together with the Spanish Ministry of Defence, will reinforce national sovereignty. SIRTAP will be fully developed in Spain, integrating national capabilities. However, thanks to its versatility and the use of ITAR-free components, we also expect it to play a key role on the international market,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems at Airbus Defence and Space.

SIRTAP, with a payload of more than 150kgs, has been designed for advanced surveillance, intelligence and reconnaissance missions, both over land and at sea. A range of more than 2,000km and an endurance of more than 20 hours will provide high flexibility and reactivity, allowing for day and night operations in the most demanding environments. The system will be certified to fly in segregated airspace.

In the future, this tactical UAS will be able to operate jointly with other platforms to be integrated into a system of systems. The development of SIRTAP will bring the national industry key experience and competences in the field of Remote Carriers for FCAS.

First flight of the SIRTAP prototype is expected to take place in 2025.