{"id":60046,"date":"2025-06-26T21:43:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T19:43:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=60046"},"modified":"2025-07-04T23:40:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T21:40:43","slug":"the-spanish-army-will-be-able-to-fly-the-heaviest-version-of-its-vcr-dragon-on-a400m-aircraft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2025\/06\/26\/the-spanish-army-will-be-able-to-fly-the-heaviest-version-of-its-vcr-dragon-on-a400m-aircraft\/","title":{"rendered":"The Spanish Army will be able to fly the heaviest version of its VCR Drag\u00f3n on A400M aircraft"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Wednesday, the Spanish 8x8 VCR Drag\u00f3n armored vehicle passed a new milestone in its certification process before entering service.<\/p>\n

Spain manages to load a VCR Dragon armored vehicle on an A400M plane of the 31st Wing<\/a><\/rel>
\nThe new VCR Drag\u00f3n armored vehicle of the Spanish Army and the controversy over its size<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

As you may recall, in March the Spanish Air Force carried out load tests of the Sapper Fighting Vehicle (VCZ) version of the Dragon VCR<\/a> on an Airbus A400M Atlas transport aircraft of the 31st Wing, based in Zaragoza. This version is equipped with a Mini Samson remote-controlled turret, armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun.<\/strong> This turret adds between 140 and 160 kg to the vehicle.<\/p>\n

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The Spanish Air Force acknowledged that \"the dimensions and weight of the vehicle required identifying the necessary tie-down points to secure it inside the aircraft<\/strong> with the necessary safety criteria\"<\/em>, but it was found that \"the weight of the vehicle complied with all the limitations of the aircraft<\/strong>, both during the loading process and during the flight.\"<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Air Transport Load Evaluation Cell (CECTA) of the Air Mobility Headquarters of the Spanish Air Force pointed out<\/a> that this project was the \"most complex undertaken to date\"<\/em>, but confirmed that The VCZ Dragon, in its combat configuration, \"can be transported on a single aircraft and be operational at the destination point.\"<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The next challenge was more complicated. The anti-tank (A\/C) variant of the Dragon Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) carries a Guardian 30 robotic turret<\/strong>, which is much larger than the Mini Samson turret of the VCZ. The Guardian 30 is equipped with a 30 mm Bushmaster II Mk.44 main gun, a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun, a folding Spike anti-tank missile launcher, and 12 smoke grenade launchers. This turret weighs 1,055 kg<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Yesterday, Indra confirmed that Tess Defence successfully carried out this load test<\/a>. The test was carried out this Wednesday at the Zaragoza Air Base with one of the A400Ms of the 31st Wing, the TK.23-06 (31-26)<\/strong>, although the photo you can see above these lines was taken next to another of the aircraft, the TK.23-02 (31-22). You can see here the four photos of the test published by Indra<\/a> and Tess Defence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The load test was done without disassembling the Guardian 30 turret<\/strong>, as can be seen in the images.<\/p>\n

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The loading was carried out \"without any special preparation and after the Air Mobility Headquarters had studied the weights and dimensions,\"<\/em> Indra said. As we can see, the vehicle could be loaded onto the aircraft in its combat configuration<\/strong>, without having to dismantle the turret.<\/p>\n

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On their LinkedIn account, Tess Defence published this video of the test yesterday<\/a>, in which we see the IFV Dragon C\/C entering the A400M without problems:<\/p>\n