VIATOR, ALMERÍA, Spain — April 18, 2026 : King Felipe VI of Spain visited the Spanish Army’s Third Tactical Experimentation Campaign (TEC 3) at Base Álvarez de Sotomayor in Viator, Almería, between April 16 and April 17, where he observed live demonstrations of emerging autonomous military technologies, including the Destinus Hornet B1 counter-drone system.
The TEC 3 campaign, conducted from April 7 to April 17, 2026, is organized by the Spanish Army’s Future Force 2035 Center in cooperation with the “Alfonso XIII” II Brigade of the Legion. The exercise serves as a primary field validation framework for Spain’s ongoing military modernization program aimed at developing the Experimental Brigade 2035, with emphasis on robotics, sensor integration, and autonomous systems.
Head of State Visit and Engagement
King Felipe VI, acting in his role as Captain General of the Spanish Armed Forces, arrived at the base on April 16 by Super Puma helicopter from Cuatro Vientos Air Base. During the visit, he spent an extended period at the Destinus demonstration area, where he received technical briefings on the Hornet B1 system and its operational concept.
According to Destinus, the King engaged directly with engineers and operators, asking detailed questions regarding system performance, deployment procedures, and operational integration. His interaction reflected his background in military training across all three branches of the Spanish Armed Forces, as well as his qualification as a helicopter pilot.
Following the technical demonstrations, the King met with commanders of the “Alfonso XIII” II Brigade of the Legion at brigade headquarters and later attended a formal social engagement with military personnel, defense industry representatives, and participants involved in TEC 3.
TEC 3 as a Field Experimentation Framework
The TEC 3 exercise is structured as a multi-zone experimentation environment rather than a conventional static exhibition. Activities were distributed across up to five separate zones within the training grounds at Base Álvarez de Sotomayor, located in the Almería desert with operational visibility toward the Mediterranean.
More than 20 Spanish defense companies and two universities participated in the campaign, working alongside Legion units to test and refine systems under realistic field conditions. The event is designed to accelerate the transition of emerging technologies from development into operational evaluation.
Technologies assessed during TEC 3 included unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) for combat and logistics roles, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for cargo delivery, reconnaissance, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, first-person view (FPV) drone systems, loitering munitions, and counter-UAS solutions deployed from both ground and aerial platforms.
Hornet B1 Live Interception Demonstration
During the exercise, Destinus conducted a live interception demonstration using its Hornet B1 autonomous counter-drone system. The system was launched from a containerized unit designed for mobility and rapid deployment, including compatibility with light armored vehicles such as the URO VAMTAC.
The Hornet B1 is designed to counter a range of aerial threats, including kamikaze drone swarms, reconnaissance UAVs, loitering munitions, unguided projectiles, and helicopters. It operates through a distributed network of anti-drone nodes combining detection sensors with interceptor drones.
The system demonstrated at TEC 3 enables small units to establish a defensive perimeter quickly without reliance on fixed infrastructure, reducing logistical requirements while maintaining operational flexibility.
System Characteristics and Operational Role
The Hornet B1 is engineered as a near-autonomous interception layer intended to address cost asymmetry in modern air defense. Conventional interceptor missiles can exceed one million euros per unit, while adversary drones may cost approximately 35,000 euros.
The system supports scalable deployment and can operate independently or as part of integrated ground-based air defense networks. Key characteristics include:
- Electrically powered interceptor platform
- Range exceeding 70 kilometers
- Payload capacity of approximately 3 kilograms
- AI-driven multimode guidance system
- Low-altitude flight capability
- Integrated anti-jamming suite for operation in contested electronic environments
Earlier variants in the Hornet family, including Block 1, demonstrated ranges exceeding 45 kilometers with payloads of approximately 1.5 kilograms. The system has also been tested with Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software.
Ruta Platform Static Display
In addition to the Hornet B1 demonstration, Destinus presented its Ruta platform in a static configuration. The Ruta system is a low-cost missile-drone designed for long-range strike missions against stationary, high-value targets.
The Block 2 variant features a range exceeding 450 kilometers and a payload capacity of approximately 250 kilograms. It incorporates AI-powered multimode guidance and navigation systems designed to operate in GPS-denied and electronically contested environments, along with a low-level flight profile for survivability.
The platform is intended for scalable production and integration with mobile launch systems and modern command-and-control architectures. Earlier variants of the Ruta system have already been supplied for operational use.
Industry Participation and National Integration
Destinus maintains engineering and development operations in Spain and participates in national defense research programs, including the CRIPICOM project focused on propulsion and auxiliary aircraft systems.
The company stated that Spain remains central to its activities, with local teams responsible for design, development, and testing. The TEC 3 campaign provided an opportunity to demonstrate domestically developed capabilities within a military evaluation environment.
Role in Future Force 2035 Initiative
TEC 3 forms part of a broader series of experimentation campaigns supporting the Spanish Army’s Future Force 2035 initiative. The program aims to transform land forces through the integration of autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and advanced battlefield networking.
The campaign emphasizes direct collaboration between military units and industry partners, enabling real-time testing, feedback, and iteration of systems under operational conditions. This approach is intended to streamline the pathway from technological development to potential procurement and deployment.
The 2026 iteration of TEC 3 continues to serve as a key platform for validating the maturity, interoperability, and tactical relevance of emerging defense technologies within the Spanish Army’s modernization framework.
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