Spain's SIRTAP prototype flight scheduled for August or September, says MoD

Image of a model of the SIRTAP unmanned aircraft. (Spain's Ministry of Defence)

The first prototype of Spain's SIRTAP unmanned aircraft system (UAS) is currently in production, and its first test flight is scheduled for August or September, Spain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Janes on 17 February.

SIRTAP (a Spanish acronym that loosely translates as Integrated System for High-Performance Unmanned Air System) is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAS. The system is “not yet” capable of carrying weapons, but it is “a growth capacity considered as part of the design”, according to an MoD spokesperson.

The first production model delivery, which is a set of the system and a simulator, is scheduled for 2026. Each set includes three UASs and a ground control station. The project will be fully developed in 2030, according to a 2 January MoD press release.

Spain purchased the Airbus SIRTAP UAS in a contract valued “close to” EUR495 million (USD518 million), with Airbus announcing the acquisition on 29 November 2023 for a total of 27 UASs, nine ground control stations, and two simulators. All of the UASs will be manufactured and assembled at the Airbus Defence and Space plant in Getafe (Madrid), said the press release.

Previously, Janes reported that the UAS can carry a 150 kg payload and has a maximum take-off weight of 700 kg. SIRTAP is to be equipped with both a multimission radar (enabling overland and maritime roles) and an electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensor turret. The UAS is 7.3 m long, almost 2.5 m high, and has a wingspan of 11.3 m, with a range of over 2,000 km, said the Spanish MoD press release.

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