The Spanish Land Forces have received 40 wheeled Dragon 8×8 infantry fighting vehicles – a number that, from an operational perspective, corresponds to the vehicle fleet of a mechanized battalion.
The delivery is part of the Fuerza 35 upgrade program, which aims to structurally modernize the Spanish army.
The information was published by the Spanish Ministry of Defense, which confirmed that the vehicles were officially taken over at the Álvarez de Sotomayor base after being handed over by the Tess Defense industrial consortium.
The handover ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Margarita Robles, Defense Undersecretary Amparo Valcarce and the Chief of the Army General Staff (JEME), General Amador Ensenyat. Robles, who has previously criticized the program’s delays, highlighted the strategic importance of introducing the new systems.
“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 United Nations operations, have been strengthened,” she explained.
Dragon 8×8
The Dragon 8×8 is the Spanish localized version of the armored vehicle The Moses Voriginally from the Swiss division of General Dynamics was developed. The vehicle is designed in 8×8 configuration, has modern hydropneumatic suspension and is powered by a Scania-DC13 diesel engine powered by 620 hp. This means that the vehicle, which weighs around 33 tonnes, can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h on the road.
The platform is offered in various configurations, including machine gun, 30mm automatic cannon and anti-tank missile versions. In terms of protection, the Dragon has all-round protection against 14.5mm ammunition, as well as fragments from 155mm 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 and therefore meets level 4 of the NATO standard stanag 4569. With additional front and side armor, it is also designed to withstand fire from 25mm automatic cannons.
As part of Fuerza 35, the Dragon 8×8 is intended to form the backbone of the Spanish Army’s future wheeled armored vehicle fleet, gradually replacing the outdated M113 and the Pegaso VEC-M1 reconnaissance vehicles that have been in service for more than four decades.
Contract and criticism of the program
The contract for the delivery of 348 vehicles was signed in August 2020 and includes a budget of more than 2 billion euroswith deliveries scheduled over a period of five years. The first batch of vehicles for testing purposes arrived in 2022 according to the original schedule.
Despite recent progress, the Dragon program has repeatedly been the target of criticism in the Spanish military press. Reports point to technical and organizational problems, including excess weight, difficulties with the stern ramp, defects in pulleys, drivetrain instability, and challenges in approving tests on the turret, chassis, and mechanical and electronic systems.
Source and images: Ministerio de Defensa – X @Defensagob. This content was created with the power of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
