The Spanish division of Airbus is ready to begin work on a new long-range unmanned aerial vehicle. He will use for intelligence.
What is known
The drone will be created as part of the Sistema RPAS Táctico de Altas Prestaciones (SiRTAP) program. Spain started the project in 2015, and eventually Colombia joined in. The drone was previously known as Atlante 2 MALE.
The goal of the program is to create an unmanned aerial vehicle for surveillance, reconnaissance and reconnaissance. SiRTAP will replace the aging Israeli Searcher MkII and Hermes 450 drones, which are in service with the Spanish and Colombian air forces, respectively. The developer of the first UAV is Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and the second one was created by Elbit.
Spain is considering the acquisition of 27 unmanned aerial systems. Each includes three drones, a ground control station and communications equipment. Now the UAV is at the stage of preliminary design. Airbus Spain says if the contract is approved soon, deliveries will begin by 2026. Colombia intends to order six complexes, ie. 18 drones.
Earlier we wrote that Spain intends to invest €500 million ($542 million) in the development and production of new drones. The funding will be divided into eight annual payments. 90% of UAV components will be produced in Spain.
SiRTAP will be able to stay in the air for more than 20 hours, flying at an altitude of over 6.4 km. The maximum payload weight will be 150 kg. The drone will have a foldable design for transport using C-295 aircraft. According to Airbus Spain, one aircraft will be able to carry two drones.
Source: Defense News
2023-05-20 11:51:51
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