Military vehicle developer TESS Defence has delivered the 100th Dragón 8×8 wheeled combat vehicle to the Spanish Army, hitting a key milestone to a program conceptualized in 2019.
Based on GDELS’ Piranha V design, the Dragón 8×8 features an open digital architecture, advanced sensor integration, and enhanced armor protection intended to replace the aging Pegaso BMR and VEC armored fleets under the NATO country’s Force 35 modernization plan.
TESS handed over the latest tranche at the Santa Bárbara facility in Alcalá de Guadaíra in collaboration with parent company Indra.
The delivery brings the program closer to its target of distributing 348 vehicles to the military by the end of 2028, ordered under the 1.74-billion euro ($1.9 billion) contract signed in 2020.
Production surged in early 2026, with 43 platforms supplied in the first six months and doubling the overall output of the previous year.
TESS and Indra are working alongside local defense industry partners GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas, SAPA, and EM&E to complete the initiative.
Trials, Variant Launch Underway
The Spanish Army is currently conducting field testing with the Legion Brigade in Viator, Andalusia, to achieve the Dragón’s initial operational capability by late 2026, according to Spanish media.
The service is also conducting a separate trial with its 1st Engineer Regiment in Burgos, located in the northwestern region of Castile and León.
In mid-October, the military plans to showcase three Dragón variants publicly for the first time during the National Day parade in Madrid.
