Spanish Navy advances A900 VTOL UAV acquisition from Alpha Unmanned Systems

With the aim of expanding its naval aviation capabilities through the use of new unmanned technologies, the Spanish Navy is progressing with the acquisition of an A900 VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from the local company Alpha Unmanned Systems. The procurement contract has a budget of €1.3 million. The future UAV will be assigned to the service’s Centre for Experimentation and Unmanned Vehicles (CEVENTA), based at Rota Naval Base.

Spanish Navy tender procedures for UAV system procurement

At the beginning of June, the Economic Management Directorate of the Spanish Navy’s Logistics Support Headquarters announced a tender for the purchase of a Class I RPAS, with a base budget of €1.324455 million. According to the published information, the RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) must comprise at least three autonomous, remotely controllable rotary-wing UAVs in a maritime configuration; two of them must be fitted with electro-optical/IR sensors.

The purchase contract also covers four control stations, a simulator, three AIS units and an initial logistics package, as well as training for operators and technicians. Another requirement stipulates that the selected RPAS must demonstrate operational maturity on the basis that: “...it is in service with, or has been acquired by, the navy of another NATO country; it has been acquired by the Spanish Armed Forces or State Security Forces and Corps; it has been successfully tested aboard Navy vessels in formal trials; it can provide references for use by maritime-sector organisations such as coastguard or maritime police services...”.

A900 deployment aboard the Spanish Navy’s BAM Rayo

In May this year, the Spanish Navy completed a tactical flight exercise aboard the BAM Rayo (P-42), involving an Alpha Unmanned Systems A900, an Airbus Flexrotor UAV and an H135 helicopter. The event incorporated the UAVs into a maritime ISTAR operation and created a multidomain operational link between the Spanish vessel, the crewed aircraft and the unmanned systems. The A900 was integrated into an arrangement allowing a single crewed operator to control drones from different manufacturers within the same tactical environment, using the HTeaming tool.

A900 UAV characteristics

The A900 is a VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Spanish company Alpha Unmanned Systems. It has a wingspan of 2.1 metres, a payload capacity of 4 kilograms and a maximum take-off weight of around 25 kilograms. The system offers up to 4 hours of endurance and can reach a top speed of 100 km/h. According to the company, the A900 was designed for maritime use and has automatic take-off, flight and landing capabilities from moving vessels.

Other notable A900 applications include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, border control, search and rescue, infrastructure inspection, and collaboration with crewed and unmanned systems. In light of the operational and technical requirements outlined in the tender, the model selected by the Spanish Navy will need to support reconnaissance and surveillance operations, as well as “...logistics or weapons-launch missions...”.

Spanish Navy procurement of unmanned systems

Alongside this new acquisition, the Spanish Navy is moving forward with the introduction of two new unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for multimission and anti-surface warfare operations. The tenders represent a combined investment of €2.5 million for the two USVs, which the service aims to purchase before the end of 2026. As stated, the introduction of new unmanned technologies will not only enable the Navy to extend its reach across a range of maritime missions using autonomous systems, but also strengthen their integration with the naval force’s crewed capabilities.