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Spain Unveils Major $2.2 Billion Plan to Build Advanced Military Drones for NATO
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Spain has revealed plans to invest $2.2 billion in military drone manufacturing, establishing new plants in León and Valladolid. The investment aligns with the country’s broader efforts to modernize its defense infrastructure and provide cutting-edge technology to both Spanish and European armed forces.
According to El Pais on January 13, each facility is expected to create around 200 jobs.
The announcement was made by Secretary of State for Defense Amparo Valcarce during a press conference at the Senate, alongside the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party in Castile and León, Carlos Martínez, and lawmakers Nuria Rubio and Patricia Gómez Urbán.
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Valcarce said the León plant will manufacture “the most advanced drones currently capable of operating in Europe and within NATO.” The project is part of Spain’s Industrial and Technological Security and Defense Plan, approved by the Cabinet in May 2025.
As reported by El Pais, the investment comes amid heightened international tensions, Spain’s commitments to strengthen its defense capabilities, and ahead of regional elections in Castile and León scheduled for March. According to the Defense Ministry, the project, expected to become operational in 2026–2027, represents a “turning point for Spain’s industrial and technological defense base.”
A new company formed by defense firms Indra and Edge will launch with an initial order portfolio worth about $2.2 billion. The plants are expected to focus on the production, maintenance, and supply of military equipment for Spain’s armed forces, as well as other European militaries.
In León province, a factory producing loitering munitions—drones capable of surveillance and strike missions—is set to be built in Villadangos del Páramo, with an initial investment of around $22 million, El Pais reported. A second facility in the Boecillo technology park in Valladolid will specialise in micro-engines for drones, a critical component for their operation.
Neanwhile, Spain also continues to expand its direct military assistance to Ukraine. On January 13, Spain’s Council of Ministers announced the delivery of a Lanza LTR-25 tactical early-warning radar to the Ukrainian Armed Forces under a contract between the Spanish Ministry of Defense and defense technology firm Indra.
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Valued at around $40 million, the mobile three-coordinate radar is designed to operate in contested electromagnetic environments and is optimized to detect small, low-observable threats such as drones and cruise missiles, underscoring Madrid’s ongoing support for Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.
Earlier, Spain committed about $946 million in aid to Ukraine and is working toward providing roughly $1.16 billion in security assistance each year, including $249 million earmarked for air defense and surveillance systems under the European Commission’s SAFE instrument.
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