Indra has developed the Maestre mission system to be integrated into the Spanish Army’s 8×8 Dragon armored wheeled vehicles and tracked support vehicles (VACs). As a leading European developer of military systems, the company is now launching an advanced laboratory designed to replicate the vehicle and an emulation operating environment to work on the mission systems that will be used by these vehicles.
The new laboratory will facilitate not only the development and evolution of the software of these systems but also training, 4.0 maintenance, and tests to study how the vehicle behaves in different configurations, as well as incorporating new sensors and the analysis of their interoperability with other systems. It has working positions that allow it to manage the mission system as the driver, vehicle commander, gunner and embarked platoon would do. These positions have been designed so they can also be installed in transportable containers or shelters so that they can be deployed in the units determined by the Army.
Spanish Army officials, including Lieutenant General Fernando Miguel García y García de las Hijas, Chief of the Army’s Logistics Support Command, recently toured the new facility. The investment made will allow for the 8×8 Dragon and VAC Maestre system to be constantly updated throughout its life cycle. It also provides a system and operating familiarization environment before training on the simulators and the vehicles themselves.
Vigara Zaera, Head of Ground Mission Systems at Indra, commented “with this laboratory and the work we have conducted in recent years with the Ministry of Defense, we are globally at the forefront in the digitization of military vehicles”.
Maestre is a comprehensive mission system tailored specifically for the Spanish Army. It manages the weapons, warning systems, self-protection, situational awareness, communications, navigation, and battlefield management systems and all subsystems carried by the 8×8 and the tracked support vehicle (CSV). It processes all the information collected and presents it in an integrated picture to the crew so that it helps in better reaction to the situation and making quicker decisions. It is the key element for vehicle safety, survivability, fire effectiveness, and collaborative combat capability.
Developed with direct input from the Spanish Army, Maestre addresses the operational needs of the VCR 8X8 Dragon and VAC, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness. The 8×8 mission system is a cornerstone of the Army’s digital transformation, facilitating integration into the future Digital Combat Brigade and the Spanish Army Logistics Base (BLET).
Indra is also contributing to European R&D initiatives, such as Famous I and II, Commands, and MARTE, which are focused on next-generation military systems.
