Airbus and Sener sign contract to design and develop SIRTAP Line-of-Sight control data link

The Sener engineering and technology group is to develop the control Line-of-Sight (LoS) data link systems for Airbus in the SIRTAP programme. This RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft system) will provide the Army and the Air and Space Force with an advanced surveillance and reconnaissance tool that will add to their tactical capabilities. The contract awarded to Sener includes development, mass production and logistics support over the lifecycle of this data link which will deliver the unmanned aircraft’s connection to ground stations.

“We appreciate the confidence placed in us by Airbus,” said Rafael Orbe, General Manager of Defence at Sener. “The SIRTAP programme is an exceptional opportunity for our domestic industry to acquire and build up skills in key areas such as communications and remote operators. It is also a chance for our armed forces to step up their ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) capabilities.”

With a payload of approximately 150 kg, SIRTAP (the Spanish acronym for “high performance remotely piloted system”) is designed to engage in advanced surveillance, intelligence and reconnaissance missions on land and at sea. Its range of more than 2,000 km and endurance of over 20 hours will enable the armed forces to perform these tasks with greater flexibility and responsiveness in both day and night operations in the most challenging environments. The system will be certified to fly in segregated airspace. SIRTAP has also been designed to operate alongside other platforms, integrating into a system of systems. The prototype’s first flight is scheduled for 2025.

The award follows Airbus’s choice of Sener to develop the Line-of-Sight data link systems for the Eurodrone programme in 2023. It is also preceded by Sener’s recent acquisition of SCR (Sistemas de Control Remoto) to buttress its value proposition in remote operators and next-generation autonomous navigation platforms and forge ahead in developing competitive Spanish technologies in Europe where it has an outstanding track record.

Sener’s role in developing SIRTAP underscores its capabilities and enables it to move forward in cementing its position as a centre of excellence in remote operators and communications, in the latter in data links and in communications intelligence (COMINT) and radio frequency equipment.

Header image: (C) Airbus Defence and Space SAU 2024.