Next-Gen Naval Warfare
The Navy integrates its fleet with drones, autonomous vessels, and satellites for advanced surveillance and combat operations.
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Spain's Navy is building a new way to fight at sea. A single frigate will act as a command hub, directing aerial drones, underwater robots, and autonomous attack boats — all linked to military satellites in orbit. El Correo Gallego reports the model marks a radical break from traditional naval warfare, where large fleets of crewed ships did all the work.
The backbone of this transformation is the F-110 Bonifaz-class frigate program, backed by a €4.32 billion budget for five ships, and the SpainSat NG satellite constellation, which cost over €2 billion. Together, they form what analysts are calling a "System of Systems" — a fighting force spread across sea, air, and space.
The F-110 Frigate Acts as the Fleet's Brain
The F-110, built by state shipbuilder Navantia, is designed to be a "Smart Ship." It carries the SCOMBA combat system — the digital brain that coordinates every asset around it. The ship also features an advanced AESA radar and electronic warfare suite developed by Indra, worth over €325 million in contracts. Its first unit, the Bonifaz, is due for delivery in 2028.
One key feature is "Digital Twin" technology. Before engaging, the ship simulates a full combat scenario in real time. Critics point to one weakness: the F-110 carries only 16 missile launch cells — 64 missiles if quad-packed. Some analysts say that may not be enough to stop the very drone swarms Spain is now building for itself, according to El Periódico de Aragón.
Drones Above, Below, and Beside the Fleet
Spain's Navy Center for Drone Evaluation, CEVENTA, is based in Rota and is already testing the full range of autonomous vehicles. In May 2026, trials successfully linked a BAM-class vessel, an H135 helicopter, and two drone types — the Flexrotor and Alpha 900 — into a single combat loop, according to La Opinión de Málaga. The Navy calls this "Manned-Unmanned Teaming," or MUM-T.
Underwater, the Sparus II robot clears mines so human divers don't have to. On the surface, the SEAD 23 — a 7-meter autonomous boat capable of 36 knots — can carry up to 600 kg of weapons or sensors. The 11th Squadron also now flies 15 ScanEagle drones fitted with ViDAR sensors, which automatically detect ships at sea without a human watching the screen, reports Diario Córdoba.
Satellites Give the Fleet Eyes Across the Globe
SpainSat NG-I launched from Cape Canaveral on January 30, 2026. It is the first of a constellation giving Spain its own secure military communications in space. Each satellite weighs 6 tons, stands 7.3 meters tall, and is built to last over 15 years. The system covers an area described as stretching from Denver to Singapore, according to Diario de Ibiza.
The goal is strategic autonomy — to stop depending on U.S. satellites to command its drones. But the plan carries risk. Independent analysts warn that the whole system is only as strong as its data links. If a satellite is hit by debris or jammed, the autonomous fleet could go blind. A collision already forced Spain to fast-track a third satellite, SpainSat NG-III, reports LNE.
Ukraine War Pushed Spain to Rethink Naval Combat
The trigger for this shift was the war in Ukraine. Cheap Ukrainian sea drones punched holes in Russia's Black Sea Fleet — a stark lesson that large, expensive crewed warships are now easy targets. Spain responded by developing the NAIAD system to manage swarms of its own autonomous boats, according to El Correo Web. Defense Minister Margarita Robles called the modernization of the armed forces "a priority."
The economic stakes are high too. Spain's space and defense sector now accounts for 1.3% of GDP. The SpainSat program alone supports 500 high-tech engineering jobs each year. Navantia and Indra are also eyeing export markets in Canada and Japan, both of which use the same SPY-7 radar system as the F-110, reports La Provincia.
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