The Final Assembly Line for SIRTAP, the high-performance tactical drone acquired by the Spanish Ministry of Defence, has kicked-off at the Airbus facilities in Getafe (Madrid), to produce two prototypes.

The large components for the manufacture of the first prototype - mainly of Spanish origin, such as the fuselage and wings, have started to arrive in Getafe. Completion of the final assembly of the first prototype is scheduled in spring 2025.

Once assembled, the ground test campaign will begin at Airbus in Getafe, giving way to the flight test campaign, which is scheduled to start before the end of 2025 at the Test Center for Remotely Piloted Systems (CEUS) of the National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) in Moguer, Huelva, south-west Spain.

SIRTAP will reinforce the tactical capabilities of the Spanish Armed Forces, which will have a total of nine systems, each consisting of three unmanned aerial vehicles and a ground control station. In addition, Airbus Defence and Space will supply two simulators for the training of the Spanish operators, which have recently passed their critical design review, representing the closure of the architecture and design of the simulators. 

The design, development and manufacturing of this remotely piloted vehicle provides Spain with national sovereignty in the technological, industrial and tactical fields. The versatility of SIRTAP will facilitate the execution of a wide variety of missions such as search and rescue, maritime surveillance, support in natural disasters and fires with the damage identification, assessment and monitoring, as well as border surveillance for illegal activities such as drug trafficking and illegal fishing, among others.