After a series of delays, production of new armored personnel carriers began in Spain. Yesterday, December 28, the portal janes.com He reported that General Dynamics has announced the start of serial assembly of Dragón machines.
A solemn steel cutting ceremony was held at the joint venture General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS)-Santa Bárbara Sistemas, located in the city of Trubia. The first production vehicles of Dragón will be armored personnel carriers in engineering modification.
Prototype of the Dragon armored personnel carrier
Image source: armyrecognition.com
In 2015, the Spanish Ministry of Defense chose the Piranha 5 armored personnel carrier manufactured by General Dynamics as the base platform for a new wheeled infantry fighting vehicle, later named Dragón. Then it was planned that the production of cars would begin in 2017, but due to a number of problems in 2020, the first tender was canceled. The second attempt was successful.
The Spanish army expects to purchase 348 vehicles, the transaction amount is estimated at more than € 2 billion. The new armored personnel carriers should replace the aging BMR-600, VEC-25 and M113 combat vehicles.
