First Airbus SIRTAP prototype ready to start ground tests

Airbus Defence and Space has completed assembly of the first prototype SIRTAP – Airbus’ high-performance tactical uncrewed aerial system. The aircraft is ready to start ground-testing at the company’s facilities in Getafe, Spain.

The ground testing, comprising  structural evaluations, main system components and software testing, will take place over the next months, says the company. It will finish with the maiden flight of SIRTAP, scheduled for the end of 2025 at Spain’s National Institute of Aerospace Technology’s (INTA’s) Unmanned Systems Test Centre (CEUS) 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 ensure that the aircraft meets the highest safety and performance standards, leading to the delivery of the first system to Spain in 2027, Airbus Defence and Space adds.

“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 ordered nine systems, each consisting of three remotely-piloted aircraft and a ground-control station. They  will reinforce the tactical capabilities of the Spanish Armed Forces. In addition, Airbus Defence and Space will supply two simulators for training Spanish operators, having already passed the Critical Design Review, which marks the completion of their architecture and design.

The company says SIRTAP reflects its commitments to innovation and national industrial collaboration, while offering an exportable platform thanks to its ITAR-free design. 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 UASs.