Spain selects Airbus A321 for new SIGINT aircraft program

Spain has chosen the Airbus A321 as the platform for its Santiago II‑SCAPA signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft program, as disclosed in the October issue of Revista de Aeronáutica y Astronáutica, the official publication of the Spanish Air Force.

Airbus will handle the airframe while Indra will provide sensors and mission systems under a definition contract awarded in December 2025 worth about €16 million (US$19 million) for an 18‑month study.

The new aircraft will restore Spain’s dedicated airborne SIGINT capability after the retirement of the TM.17‑4, a modified Boeing 707 that performed electronic intelligence and communications missions until its last flight in 2014.