The five major groups in the sector agree that the challenge is no longer to demand more investment, but to execute it. Airbus, Indra, Oesía, EM&E and Amper foresee industrial investments of hundreds of millions.
According to elEconomista.es, the executives of Airbus, Indra, Oesía, EM&E and Amper concurred in the debate The Money for Rearmament: Executing Spending Without Losing the Race that the increase in orders necessitates expanding factories, incorporating talent, and cooperating among companies to overcome the fragmentation of the sector.
Francisco Javier Sánchez, president of Airbus Spain, stated:
“We are in execution and growth mode, but execution is the big challenge.”
The company is investing in a tanker aircraft conversion centre in Seville and opening assembly lines for the Eurodrone in Cádiz and Seville. It expects to add more than 1,000 net jobs at its Spanish plants by 2026.
Josep María Recasens, CEO of Indra Group, estimated the investment to quadruple the group's industrial footprint at over 200 million euros, reaching nearly 150,000 square metres. The deployment distributes land vehicles in the north, drones in the centre, and radars in the south. Indra is involved in 18 programmes mobilising 12 billion, and Recasens urged to expedite work with suppliers:
“We cannot wait for the final contract to be signed.”
Luis Furnells, CEO of Grupo Oesía, announced an investment of 250 million euros over five years with the aim of quadrupling its production capacity in Valdepeñas (Ciudad Real). As an example, he cited a multi-domain capability programme with 40 companies, 80% of which are national, with a milestone expected by the end of the year.
Fernando Fernández, CEO of EM&E Group, asserted that delivery speed will determine contracts. The group has invested over 125 million and expects to reach 300 million in two years. He explained that foreign allies are requesting one hundred anti-drone systems within a month or a month and a half.
“The time variable has entered the board to stay.”
Enrique López Pérez, CEO of Grupo Amper, announced 150 million euros of industrial investment between 2026 and 2028, adding to over 250 million allocated for growth through acquisitions. López called for international alliances to leave capabilities in Spain:
“We must cooperate to ensure there is technological transfer and industrial footprint in Spain.”
Sánchez recalled that Airbus purchased materials worth 2.7 billion euros from Spanish companies and that 80% of an aircraft or satellite depends on the industrial ecosystem. Recasens, for his part, cited standards and joint European purchases as a way to reduce costs and gain scale. Recasens placed the annual effort in R&D between 300 and 400 million euros, around 10% of the group's revenue.
For the five executives, the immediate challenge is to deliver on time to the Armed Forces and leverage national orders to develop products that can compete outside of Spain.
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