The Spanish Army has received 40 Dragon 8×8 wheeled infantry fighting vehicles. Operationally, this number is equivalent to the vehicle formation of one mechanized battalion.
The handover is part of Fuerza 35, a rearmament program aimed at structurally modernizing the Spanish Army.
This information was announced by the Spanish Ministry of Defense and confirmed that it was officially received at the Alvarez de Sotomayor base after being transferred by the industrial consortium Tess Defense.
The reception ceremony was attended by Defense Secretary Margarita Robles, Undersecretary of State for Defense Amparo Valcarce, and Chief of the Army Staff (JEME) Gen. Amador Enceñat. Defense Minister Robles, who has previously criticized delays in the project, emphasized the strategic importance of introducing new equipment.
“Our Army is of the utmost importance. This plan strengthens the interoperability of the Spanish Army, as well as its reliability and responsibility in NATO, European Union and United Nations missions,” he said.
Dragon 8×8
The Dragon 8×8 is a Spanish localized version of the Mowag Piranha V wheeled armored vehicle developed by the Swiss division General Dynamics. Designed in an 8×8 configuration, it features the latest hydraulic suspension and is powered by a Scania DC13 diesel engine with an output of 620 horsepower. The vehicle weighs approximately 33 tons and can reach a maximum speed of 100 km/h on paved roads.
The platform is available in multiple configurations, including versions equipped with machine guns, 30mm automatic cannons, and anti-tank missiles. In terms of protection, it has all-round protection against 14.5mm shells and 155mm shell fragments at a distance of 25 meters.
It also has a protective performance that can withstand up to 10 kg of TNT exploding under the wheels, and meets Level 4 of the NATO standard STANAG 4569. With additional armor on the front and sides, it is said to be able to withstand attacks from 25mm automatic cannons.
The Dragon 8×8 is envisaged to become the core of the Spanish Army’s future fleet of wheeled armored vehicles under the Fuerza 35 framework, which will gradually replace the outdated M113 and Pegaso VEC-M1 reconnaissance vehicles that have been in service for more than 40 years.
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Criticism of contracts and plans
The contract for the supply of 348 vehicles was signed in August 2020, with a budget of over 2 billion euros and delivery planned over five years. The first fleet of test vehicles arrived in 2022, as originally planned.
Despite recent progress, the Dragon project has repeatedly been the subject of criticism in Spanish military media. Reports have cited technical and organizational challenges, including overweight, rear ramp problems, pulley failures, instability of the power system, and difficulties in obtaining test approval for the turret, hull, mechanical and electronic systems.
Source and image: Ministerio Defensa – X @Defensagob. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
