Indra Group is acquiring Spanish radar specialist Dares Technology to add synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capabilities to its Tarsis unmanned aircraft.
The acquisition covers the entire Barcelona-based company, which develops small radar sensors and software for processing SAR imagery. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Founded in 2015 in Castelldefels, Dares Technology began as a deep-tech startup supported by the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre. Its work has focused on processing imagery from its own and third-party SAR systems, particularly for mining and infrastructure applications.
Dares has also developed its own compact radar capable of producing high-resolution images and detecting small changes in terrain. Its SAR processing software can analyze those images to identify variations that may be difficult to detect using conventional observation methods.
Indra said the acquisition will bring 27 specialists into its Radar Center of Excellence. The company also plans to adapt Dares’ radar for defense missions, including high-precision mapping and detecting changes in terrain of only a few centimeters.
Indra Adapts Radar for Defense Missions
Indra plans to modify the Dares sensor to meet military requirements rather than simply add the existing commercial system to its portfolio.
For Tarsis drones, the radar could provide detailed terrain mapping and help identify movements by people, vehicles, and other objects on the ground. Combining the sensor with the drone platform would give Indra an airborne surveillance system able to collect radar imagery while operating independently of daylight conditions.
The company sees applications beyond the Tarsis family. Indra said Dares’ SAR technology could support maritime surveillance by detecting and tracking vessels, as well as satellite-based Earth observation for monitoring borders, strategic areas, and critical infrastructure.
Indra also expects the deal to open a position in the SAR market, where it said relatively few companies offer systems with comparable capabilities.