Airbus has assembled the first high-performance tactical uncrewed aerial system, which will commence ground tests at its defence and space facilities in Getafe, Spain.
The ground testing – comprising structural evaluations, main-systems components and software testing – is due to take place in the next few months and will culminate in the maiden flight, scheduled by the end of 2025 at Spain’s National Institute of Aerospace Technology’s Unmanned Systems Test Centre in Huelva, south-west Spain.
The subsequent SIRTAP flight-test campaign at CEUS will run throughout 2026 and will be essential in obtaining the airworthiness type certification and ensuring that the aircraft meets the highest safety and performance standards. Delivery of the first system to Spain is scheduled for 2027.
“Designed and manufactured in Spain, SIRTAP will strengthen national sovereignty and will be a benchmark in the tactical unmanned aerial systems segment worldwide,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, head of Air Power at Airbus Defence and Space. “It is another important brick in our ambition to shape a European ecosystem in defence aerospace.”
In November 2023, the Spanish Ministry of Defence acquired nine systems, each consisting of three remotely-piloted aircraft and a ground-control station. A total of 27 drones and nine ground-control stations will reinforce the tactical capabilities of the Spanish Armed Forces. In addition, Airbus Defence and Space will supply two simulators for training Spanish operators.
SIRTAP represents a strategic commitment to innovation and national industrial collaboration while offering an exportable platform thanks to its ITAR-free design.
Airbus said its development and potential evolution towards different versions, such as the naval version or weapons integration, will also contribute to strengthening industrial capabilities in the field of remotely-piloted vehicles.