The anti-drone system of Indra, which protects the deployment of the Spanish contingent in Lithuania within the framework of NATO, is awakening a “great interest” among the countries of the region, with different delegations, including that of Lithuania, approaching to learn about its capabilities and exchange experiences with the Spanish military.
This system safeguards the Vilkas Tactical Air Detachment, formed by about 200 military personnel, eleven F18 fighters and an A400M in-flight refueling aircraft, against the threat posed by the frequent incursions of unmanned aircraft (UAS) and unidentified balloons coming from the Russian and Belarusian environment, as explained in a statement by the company this Monday.
The Spanish Ministry of Defense decided to reinforce the protection of the mission with Indra's anti-drone system (C-UAS) last December and, since then, provides a surveillance and security bubble in the area. It is a solution that the company continues to perfect within the Aracne project, in which it collaborates with Escribano Mechanical & Engineering (EM&E).
International interest and reinforcement of the eastern flank
In this context, Indra has explained that, in recent weeks, different delegations from countries in northern and eastern Europe have come to learn about the system firsthand, for which the Air and Space Army has had the support of engineers from the firm deployed to the area to provide support.
“This interest is especially relevant as it occurs at a time when not only are these countries strengthening their air defenses, but that the European Union (EU) itself has launched an important initiative to deploy a drone wall or 'drone wall' of more than 3,000 kilometers in length that will protect the entire eastern flank of the EU”, Indra has added.
To achieve this objective, a solution capable of combining, in a completely fluid manner, a heterogeneous set of surveillance systems, sensors, and effectors, that base their operation on very different technologies, is pursued.
Advanced architecture and integration of multiple technologies
Precisely, one of the “strong” points of the system developed by Indra lies in its “advanced command and control system”, which provides an “enormous intelligence to identify threats and, furthermore, is prepared to integrate easily with all types of sensors, effectors and command systems, regardless of the manufacturer”.
In this regard, the company has pointed out that it has been “pioneering” in the development of advanced anti-drone systems, a “complex” solution whose development requires deep knowledge of various technologies, as they integrate electro-optical systems, communications, electronic warfare systems, command and control, artificial intelligence, and 'soft' and 'hard-kill' actuators.
The system with which the Spanish Armed Forces operate at this moment is one of the “most advanced in Europe and is prepared to operate in the harshest climatic conditions”. It is, furthermore, a solution that has demonstrated its capabilities in other scenarios, such as the deployment in Mali under an EU mission, and with which other countries are also operating.
Lastly, the Spanish multinational has detailed that, in civil scenarios, Indra's system was used as part of the protection device for the delegations that attended the NATO summit held in Madrid in 2022 and, more recently, to protect the presidential change of command in Chile.