At €3.4bn, the largest allocation is for highly mobile, high-performance air-defence systems. The programme is intended to prepare Spain’s air-defence and anti-missile units for deployment and protect against threats of this kind, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The package approved by the Council of Ministers exceeds €11.8bn. The approvals were adopted at the Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid on 10 November 2026. Its second-largest programme assigns €2.373bn to the modernisation and evolutionary development of S-80 submarines. The Council authorised an execution order for the programme, which Defence says is intended to maintain the submarines’ operational readiness and update their technology, while sustaining the facilities and systems they depend on.
That commitment covers a continuing requirement: the technical complexity of the submarines calls for adaptation as technology advances, as well as maintenance to support availability and reliability. A separate €792m programme will develop and acquire a submarine-launched missile for the S-80 fleet, integrating it to provide capabilities in line with the Navy’s operational needs and NATO guidelines.
Counter-drone systems receive €1.45bn. The government’s estimated contract value is €1,450,345,037.19. The programme is intended to address hostile use of unmanned aircraft against the Armed Forces both in Spain and abroad.
The naval approvals also include several vessel projects. A €591m contract covers the design and construction of an intelligence ship to replace Alerta. Navantia was commissioned to design the vessel in 2025; delivery is set for 74 months after the Execution Order is issued, following authorisation by the Council of Ministers. The new ship is intended to maintain and improve the Navy’s electronic-warfare capability.
Modernisation work on Segura-class minehunters is valued at €527m. The Galicia-class amphibious assault ships are allocated €594m for updates to communications and combat systems, along with navigation systems and other equipment. The programme also provides for adaptation to new operational scenarios, including possible integration of unmanned vehicles and improvements to cyber-defence capabilities.
A new oceanographic hydrographic ship is budgeted at €345m and is to be built at Navantia’s facilities in the Bay of Cádiz. A further €200m will fund maintenance and upgrades for surface ships, including Galicia-class amphibious assault ships, Patiño- and Cantabria-class combat support ships, and Meteoro-class maritime action ships.
Other contracts cover air and cruise missiles. A €996m programme for NH90 helicopters will fund modernisation and evolutionary development, while supporting their equipment and components; Airbus Helicopters España is the main contractor. The Taurus cruise-missile fleet is due a second modernisation, costing €65m, to extend its operation beyond 2040. A separate €480m services contract is intended to prepare Spain’s industry for Taurus NEO, a European programme to develop and acquire a new generation of long-range air-to-ground cruise missiles, with modernisation included.
The government has also changed spending limits for two other Defence programmes. One adjustment provides €361m in additional funding for SATCOM SPAINSAT NG, covering manufacture and launch, along with testing before SpainSat NG III enters service. The satellite is to replace the unusable NG II. Hisdesat will use the Eurostar NEO platform from Airbus Defence and Space, with technological evolutions from the earlier satellites.
The second change allows Defence to arrange contracts through the Centre for Information and Communications Systems and Technologies (CESTIC), which manages the ministry’s information systems and digital transformation, while overseeing its data. Defence plans to launch an I3D cybersecurity framework agreement in the first quarter of 2027, increasing the programme budget by €18m to €74.7m. This central-government spending decision is separate from regional powers discussions such as the Galicia transfer talks reported earlier.
