Indra Group and Diehl defence reach an agreement to boost european sovereignty in air and missile defence
The agreement foresees the joint development of a medium range, ground based air defence solution for the Spanish Armed Forces, bringing together Indra’s leadership in radar systems and Diehl’s expertise in missile technologies
The technological alliance comes at a time when Europe has launched the first projects under the Readiness 2030 plan, in which air defence plays a key role
Indra Group takes a step forward to lead the development of a Spanish technological and industrial capability in the segment of new air and missile defence systems
Indra Group and Diehl Defence will jointly promote the development and production of air and missile defence systems in order to strengthen the industrial base, technological sovereignty and European strategic autonomy.
The agreement was signed yesterday at Diehl Defence’s headquarters in Überlingen (Germany) by Ángel Escribano, Executive Chairman of Indra Group, and José Vicente de los Mozos, CEO of the company, together with Helmut Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defence, and Roland Greiner, Vice President of International Sales for Latin America, Spain and Portugal at the German company.
Both companies will develop multi‑layer Ground‑Based Air Defence (GBAD) systems. In the short term, they will focus on the joint development of a medium‑range GBAD solution tailored to the operational requirements of the Spanish Armed Forces, drawing on Spain’s technological and industrial base. This collaboration could later be extended to the maritime and air domains, as well as to related disruptive technologies.
In this context, Indra Group reaffirmed its determination to lead the development of a highly innovative Spanish industrial capability in the segment of new air and missile defence systems, acting as a driving force for the national defence ecosystem.
Ángel Escribano, Executive Chairman of Indra Group, stated: “We have a responsibility to forge technological and industrial partnerships in Europe to deliver increasingly advanced defence systems to allied armed forces, meeting tight deadlines and growing production volumes. This requires changing the way we have worked so far and adapting to the new context.”
José Vicente de los Mozos, CEO of Indra Group, said: “With this agreement, Indra Group takes a step forward in strengthening its technological and production capabilities in a key domain. In addition to the strong position that Spain and Indra already hold in air and air defence, this agreement now adds the production in Spain of new systems of this type and missiles.”
European Readiness Flagships
The agreement is framed within a context of growing defence investment efforts across the continent. Spain has launched the so‑called Special Modernisation Programmes (PEM) for its Armed Forces, with an investment of €14 billion in 2025, while the EU’s ReArm Europe / Readiness 2030 Plan will mobilise €800 billion in the coming years.
As part of this plan, the European Commission has recently presented the first four “European Readiness Flagships”, in which air defence plays a central role.
Within this framework, Indra Group and Diehl benefit mutually from the complementary nature of their technological capabilities and will jointly develop and supply multi‑layer GBAD systems. Diehl Defence contributes its extensive experience in GBAD systems and guided missiles, including the IRIS‑T SLM, SLS and SLX. Indra, for its part, brings its expertise in radar systems, tactical communications, and air and missile defence command and control systems.