Spain’s Land Forces have received 40 Dragon 8×8 wheeled infantry fighting vehicles, a number that is operationally equivalent to a set of vehicles for a mechanized battalion.
The delivery is part of the Fuerza 35 rearmament program, aimed at the structural modernization of the Spanish Army.
The information was released by Spain’s Ministry of Defense, which confirmed that the vehicles were officially received at the Álvarez de Sotomayor base, following a transfer carried out by the industrial consortium Tess Defence.
The reception ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Margarita Robles, Secretary of State for Defense Amparo Valcarce, and the Chief of the Army Staff (JEME), General Amador Ensenyat. Robles, who on previous occasions had criticized delays in the program, highlighted the strategic importance of incorporating the new assets.
“Our army is the most important thing. Thanks to this program, the interoperability of the Spanish Army, as well as its reliability and responsibility in NATO, European Union and UN missions, have been enhanced,” she stated.
Dragon 8×8
The Dragon 8×8 is the Spanish localized version of the armored vehicle The Moses Voriginally developed by the Swiss division of General Dynamics. Designed in an 8×8 configuration, the armored vehicle features modern hydropneumatic suspension and is powered by a Scania DC13 diesel engine producing 620 horsepower, allowing the approximately 33-ton vehicle to reach speeds of up to 100 km/h on roads.
The platform is offered in different configurations, including versions armed with a machine gun, a 30 mm automatic cannon, and anti-tank missiles. In terms of protection, the Dragon has all-round armor against 14.5 mm ammunition and fragments from 155 mm artillery shells at a distance of 25 meters.
The vehicle is also protected against the detonation of up to 10 kg of TNT under the wheel, meeting Level 4 of NATO’s stanag 4569 standard. With additional frontal and lateral armor, it is also expected to withstand fire from 25 mm automatic cannons.
The Dragon 8×8 is intended to become the backbone of the future wheeled armored vehicle fleet of the Spanish Army under the Fuerza 35 framework, gradually replacing the aging M113s and the Pegaso VEC-M1 reconnaissance vehicles, which have been in service for more than four decades.
Contract and criticism of the program
The contract for the supply of 348 vehicles was signed in August 2020, with a budget exceeding 2 trillion eurosproviding for deliveries over five years. The first batch of vehicles for testing arrived in 2022, in line with the initial schedule.
Despite recent progress, the Dragon program has been the target of recurring criticism in the Spanish military press. Reports point to technical and organizational difficulties, including excess weight, problems with the rear ramp, pulley failures, instability of the powertrain, and difficulties in passing tests involving the turret, chassis, and mechanical and electronic systems.
Source and images: Ministerio Defensa – X @Defensagob. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
