It risks paying millions in compensation without receiving the weapons
The Spanish Armed Forces are already beginning to suffer the consequences of Pedro Sánchez’s attacks against Israel.
Pedro Sánchez’s statement regretting not having “nuclear bombs” against Israel
Military programs that may be affected by the crisis between Spain and Israel
Sánchez regretted not having “nuclear bombs” against Israel.
This Monday, the president of the Spanish government announced an arms embargo on Israel via decree, a mechanism that has not even been approved yet. Furthermore, Sanchez made an incendiary statement regretting not having “nuclear bombs” against Israel. In response to these positions, which have not received the support of any other European country, Hamas terrorists issued a statement applauding the Spanish socialist leader.
Spain depends much more on Israel’s military industry than vice versa
This lamentable political spectacle, which is a clear smokescreen to hide the Socialists’ corruption scandals, is already beginning to have very negative consequences for Spain. In fact, in the last two years, Spain has purchased Israeli military equipment worth more than 1 billion euros. After all, Israel is a leading country in the manufacture of high-tech defense equipment. However, Spain’s military sales to Israel have only totaled €84 million over the last 20 years. Of that amount, €49 million correspond to the sale of dual-use technology.
Thus, Spain is much more dependent on Israel for defense than the other way around, so Sánchez’s veto of the Jewish state will have more negative consequences for Spain than for Israel. For now, the Spanish government has already canceled the purchase of two important weapons systems for the Army simply because both involved the participation of Israeli companies.
The project by Escribano Mechanical & Engineering and Expal for SILAM presented at FEINDEF in May (Photo: Ministerio de Defensa).
The government announces the cancellation of the SILAM rocket launcher
Yesterday, the State Procurement Platform website announced the cancellation of the purchase of the High Mobility Rocket Launcher System (SILAM), which was valued at €697 million (€576 million excluding taxes). The contract, signed on December 15, 2023, had been awarded to a joint venture formed by the Spanish firms Escribano Mechanical & Engineering and Rheinmetall Expal Munitions for the development of a rocket-launching artillery vehicle.
A PULS launcher on an IVECO 8×8 truck. This would be the configuration chosen for the Spanish Army’s launchers (Photo: Escribano).
As we saw here two years ago when this contract was awarded, the SILAM combines a PULS launcher from the Israeli company Elbit Systems with an IVECO 6×6 truck. The Spanish SILAM launchers were planned to use 122 mm Accular missiles, GPS/inertial guided (32 per truck), with a range of 35 km; 306 mm EXTRA missiles (8 in total), GPS/inertial guided and a range of 150 km; and 370 mm Predator Hawk missiles (4 in total), GPS/inertial guidance and a range of 300 km.
The SILAM launcher next to the new VCR Dragon armored vehicle of the Spanish Army (Photo: Escribano).
No jobs, no technology transfer, and no rocket launchers
This contract would have generated jobs and would have involved a significant technology transfer by the Israeli company Elbit Systems. Now Spain is left without rocket launchers, without missiles, without jobs, and without technology transfer. The Ministry of Defense has not even indicated what alternatives it considers to SILAM after the cancellation of its purchase. It must be remembered that Spain has gone years without a weapons system of this type, an important deficiency that SILAM was supposed to remedy. This will no longer be the case.
The Spike LR2 in flight (Photo: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems).
The Spanish Army is left without 168 Spike LR2 launchers and 1,680 anti-tank missiles.
On the other hand, yesterday the State Procurement Platform also announced the cancellation of the purchase of 168 Spike LR2 anti-tank missile systems, a contract worth €287 million (€237 million excluding taxes). The contract was signed on November 22, 2023. As we saw two years ago, this purchase included 1,680 Spike LR2 missiles.
The Spike LR2 with its case (Photo: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems).
The Spike LR2 has a range of 5,500 meters and has a target tracker with artificial intelligence functions, so it can maintain a target despite inclement weather. It is one of the most advanced anti-tank missiles on the market. Spain uses the LR1 variant of this missile. The LR2 was intended to replace the aging American TOW anti-tank missiles used for decades by the Spanish Army. As with the SILAM, the Ministry of Defense has not even reported what alternatives it is considering.
Spike LR2 cancellation affects Dragon VCR program
It should be noted that the cancellation of this missile may affect another important Spanish weapons system: the VCR Dragón armored vehicle. As we saw here two years ago, the Spike LR2s were going to equip 40 of the Guardian 30 turrets of the Infantry Combat Vehicle version of the VCR Dragón, turrets specifically designed for that type of missile. Now they will have to be redesigned.
The launch of a Spike LR2 missile from a Guardian 30 turret on a VCR Dragon armored vehicle (Image: Escribano Mechanical and Engineering).
España se arriesga a pagar una indemnización millonaria sin recibir las armas
Added to all this is another important issue. Almost two years after the signing of these arms procurement contracts, the cancellation of the SILAM and Spike LR2 weapons could mean Spain will have to pay compensation to the manufacturing companies, having unilaterally canceled an already signed contract.
Thus, Spain could have to pay a significant sum of money without receiving a single one of these weapons systems. This already occurred in April with the cancellation of a contract to purchase ammunition from Israel by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior. Finally, the government backed down because it risked having to pay 6.6 million euros in compensation without receiving a single bullet. History will surely repeat itself with SILAM and Spike 2. These are the consequences of having a government that puts its political and ideological agenda above the national interest.
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Main photo: Escribano.