Spanish Government Authorizes Weapon Integration for Air Force Drones

In a pivotal decision during the Tuesday, November 14th session, the Council of Ministers greenlit a contract for the acquisition and integration of the Hellfire air-to-surface missile and its associated equipment into the Air Force's Predator UAVs. The estimated value of this contract stands at €13,395,015. This move aims to modernize and enhance the capabilities of these UAVs while bolstering the Air Force's air-to-surface capabilities, specifically for supporting and safeguarding various Armed Forces Units and their personnel during operations.

Earlier this year, plans were unveiled to initiate the process of arming these drones in 2023, as reported in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Journal, the official publication of the Spanish Air Force. Initially configured for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, the Spanish aircraft, however, have the potential to carry missiles and conduct ground target attack operations using the system developed by the U.S.-based company, General Atomics.

For the MQ-9 Reaper to be armed, a mere software update at the Ground Control Station (GCS) - the point of ground-based aircraft control - and the installation of additional hardware on the devices, primarily pylons, bomb racks, and specific components for each weapon, are required.

Spain, which is equipped with four units of the 'Predator B Block 5' version, follows the footsteps of other nations that have integrated weaponry into their drones, including the United States, Italy, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

The first two 'Block 5' units arrived in Spain in December 2019, followed by the remaining two a year later. They operate within the 233 Squadron of Wing 23 and frequently conduct missions from the Talavera la Real Air Base, with occasional deployments to the military aerodrome in Lanzarote for surveillance over the Canary Islands region.