The Spanish Civil Guard will equip its agents operating abroad with new portable anti-drone systems to address the threat posed by unmanned aerial systems. A tender is already underway for the purchase of a minimum of 10 drone-jamming devices. Regarding the specifications, the anti-drone system will weigh less than 20 kilograms and will be capable of operating across various frequency bands (GNSS -GPS L2-L5 and L1-, Wifi -2.4 GHz, 5.2 GHz, and 5.8 GHz-, 900 MHz, and 400 MHz).
Each system must be housed in a compact case for transport, with pre-installation inside to add two additional jamming modules. Each unit will include directional antennas capable of covering 90-degree sectors and a deployable telescopic mast for antenna deployment. The 400 MHz module will have a single omnidirectional antenna with 360-degree coverage. The equipment’s autonomy in continuous operation at maximum power will exceed 30 minutes, with an effective range of at least one kilometer.
The tender, which is already in the evaluation phase, is managed by the Army, specifically the Army Logistics Support Command (MALE), the body normally responsible for purchasing specific equipment for Civil Guards in international operations. The delivery of the new equipment is scheduled for the end of 2024, according to the execution timeline of the tender, which Infodefensa.com has accessed. In recent years, the Armed Institute has acquired anti-drone systems from companies SDLE and Etrair, primarily for use with Pegaso equipment.
Guardia Civil has agents deployed in several countries. In Lebanon, a dozen agents are part of the Spanish contingent of the UNIFIL United Nations mission, operating from the Miguel de Cervantes base in the eastern sector. Today, this mission has been renewed for another year by the Security Council. The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2749 (2024) today, extending the mission’s mandate until August 31, 2025.
While daily exchanges of fire have devastating effects on civilians on both sides of the Blue Line, the Security Council urged all relevant actors to implement immediate measures towards de-escalation. It also demanded that the parties recommit to fully implementing all provisions of Resolution 1701, the ceasefire resolution adopted in 2006, and reiterated its strong support for full respect of the Blue Line and the total cessation of hostilities. It is this mission that motivates the Civil Guard’s tender, as Lebanon is a theater of the use of often homemade drones for bombing and surveillance purposes.
The Armed Institute also has personnel in Mauritania as part of deployments of ships, planes, and helicopters to combat irregular immigration or in Colombia within the Spanish mission of UN observers tasked with verifying peace agreements with the FARC. Guardia civil has also been involved in scenarios such as Iraq in recent years, as part of training missions for local security forces.
Source: Army Recognition