The facility that Indra is developing in As Pontes (A Coruña), intended to begin in 2027 the integration of the bridge-layers of the Army, will have capacity to assemble 80 military vehicles annually when it reaches its "optimal" working pace.
In a first phase, the factory will take on the integration of the Bridge-Layer Vehicles (VLP) of the Army and, in the following months, will incorporate the assembly of the Marine Infantry Amphibious Combat Vehicle (VACIM) and, later on, of the Self-Propelled Gun on Wheels (ATP Ruedas), according to the company.
The project was presented this Wednesday in As Pontes at an event attended by the president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, and the Government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, whose speeches were very conditioned by the recent railway accident in Urda (Toledo).
Indra's communications director, Miguel López-Quesada, stressed that "it is not going to be just a factory" but rather "it is going to be a new strategic capability" and "it is going to remain here for decades." In turn, the CEO, Josep Maria Recasens, urged to "change" the defense sector in Spain, considering that it remains "fragmented and small" if compared with Europe, where it aspires to "play a relevant role." "This does not start today, it has already started," he emphasized.
In this context, he rejected the "mantra" that "Indra is going to do everything." He recalled that "The 8x8 is an iconic vehicle. Of the total, Indra is responsible for 30%. It means that there is 70% that Indra does not do, the national defense ecosystem does it. Indra is a driver, a tractor at the service of the armed forces and the Spanish defense sector".
Recasens framed the As Pontes plant within the company's northern corridor, to which the central corridor, focused on drones, and the southern one, specialized in radars, are added. "All of them under the same principle," he stressed, alluding to an "industrial, technological, employment, supplier and university ecosystem" that is articulated around these infrastructures.
The president of the Provincial Council and mayor of As Pontes, Valentín González Formoso, considered that "if this country works like this, it is unstoppable" and warned of the "second wave of brutal investment from Europe" in the field of defense. In the same vein, the Government delegate, Pedro Blanco, argued that "working hand in hand produces this kind of result" and maintained that "taking advantage of the accumulated experience means defending the industrial capacity of As Pontes".
Blanco also conveyed the gratitude of the central Government to Indra "for the trust placed in Galicia". "Galicia will not fail, you will find capabilities, experience, professionals and all our support," he guaranteed. For his part, the president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, referred to the "complex" procedure followed so far, but celebrated that "all's well that ends well," with a building that is already a "reality".
Rueda stressed that "Galicia has an enormous opportunity ahead with the defense industry" and advocated "breaking" the perception that "Indra takes it all". In his view, "A tractor element is needed, a company that has enough power to pull everything else and make viable and reliable projects possible." He added that "That is what Indra is doing here and around that there has to be an entire ecosystem that exists in Galicia, from small companies that exist that have taken advantage of these years to convert themselves, training centers are needed that guide toward the new demands and we are capable of offering personnel".
The head of the Xunta maintained that this approach "is already bearing fruit", in reference to the regional strategic initiative that aspires to mobilize 900 million euros, "focusing above all on the small productive fabric". As for the accounts for 2027, he advanced that they contemplate almost 20 million "for more technological support", aid to companies and "more collaboration". He also highlighted that Galicia's geographic position, previously seen as an "inconvenience", is now perceived as an "enormous advantage" because of its proximity to ports.
A cutting-edge plant with qualified employment
Indra expects the factory to be "one of the most efficient" in Europe, equipped with advanced digitalization and artificial intelligence technologies. The complex will reinforce the company's delivery capacity and will generate between 70 and 120 direct "highly qualified" jobs in Galicia, in addition to the positions linked to the supply chain.
The company is immersed, as it indicates, in the largest industrialization process in its history, with a deployment of factories throughout the country, a global investment of 200 million and the creation of 1,000 industrial jobs and 1,400 engineering jobs. In As Pontes, Indra has just acquired the land and plans to prepare it in "record time" to begin shortly the integration of the Bridge Launcher Vehicle (VLP).
In a second stage, the plant will also take on the integration of the Amphibious Combat Vehicles of the Marine Infantry (VACIM) and, starting in 2029, will incorporate the Wheeled Self-Propelled Artillery systems (ATP Wheels). The company's forecast is to reach a production of 80 vehicles per year once the activity is stabilized.
Indra will invest 18 million euros in the fitting-out of the facilities, which total 52,872 square meters of total surface area and 13,730 square meters built. The design includes three parallel vehicle assembly lines, an indoor storage area and electronics workshops to integrate the different systems into the platforms.
Outside, the plant will have a 5,200-square-meter painting and testing area, an almost 15,000-square-meter running track and a 7,000-square-meter esplanade for the storage of vehicle stock.
Characteristics of military vehicles
The bridge launcher is a highly mobile tactical vehicle, with 10 wheels, prepared to deploy a 24-meter bridge that allows tanks, armored vehicles and trucks to cross trenches and cuts in the terrain. In total, Indra will produce 32 VLP systems for the Spanish Army, each one composed of a main vehicle and another auxiliary one.
The Amphibious Combat Vehicle of the Marine Infantry is based on the SUPERAV 8x8 platform of IDV, company of the Leonardo group. It is a next-generation platform with a hull suitable for navigation, capable of disembarking 10 soldiers and three crew members 12 miles from the coast, even in rough seas, and of operating in a combat zone with a high level of protection. Indra will deliver 34 units, although the first ones will be manufactured in Italy before transferring production to Spain.
Finally, the Wheeled Self-Propelled Howitzer (ATP Ruedas) is a ten-wheel, rapid-deployment vehicle, equipped with a 155 mm, 52-caliber cannon, which offers high precision and rate of fire, with a range that can exceed 56 kilometers. The company will supply 186 vehicles of this type in their different howitzer, ammunition, and recovery versions.