General Dynamics respalda el «español» de su negocio blindado europeo y su papel en la frontera con Rusia.
General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS), the armored business in the old continent of the American and owner of Santa Barbara Systems, highlighted the ‘Spanish’ division, whose headquarters is located in Madrid, and also its military vehicle vehicles to «guarantee Security «of the countries on the European border with Russia after the invasive conflicts in Ukraine promoted by the European Union (EU).
The company’s sources have emphasized in the conversation with Europa Press the importance of GDELS based in Madrid, from where the group’s companies in Switzerland (Mowag), Austria (Steyr), Germany (GDELS-Germany), Romania (GDELS-Romania), Denmark and Czech Republic, are directed and managed.
GDELS employs about 3,000 workers in 15 EU centers, and of them, almost a third (900) work in Spain, adding that more than half of its management team is Spanish.
Along these lines, the company’s sources consulted by Europa Press also appreciated that GDELS invoices around 1.3 billion euros per year and has an order backlog of approximately 3.5 billion euros.
«From Spain, we send land military platforms to destinations as far away as the Philippines. Our vehicles are purchased by countries bordered with Russia, who trust our technology for their security. Even historically, like the United Kingdom, bought Ajax, based on the evolution of our Pizarro platform,» they added.
They also emphasize that the different armored models used in the United States and Canada bear the national stamp «Piranha,» whose patent and industrial properties are registered in Spain.
These statements by GDELS come at a time when its relationship with Indra has been turbulent, a company with which it shares (through Santa Barbara Systems) the Tess Defense Consortium, responsible for the manufacturing of the protected 8×8 dragon for the Spanish army and which also belongs to the mechanized and engineering of Sapa Lynibano.
Last Thursday, the president of Indra, Ángel Esibano, was affected in the National Security Commission of Congress, the management of Santa Bárbara systems by General Dynamics and said that «there was no investment,» that «it was not growing,» and that «destroyed almost all the industrial fabrics that the Great Santa had.»
In fact, at the beginning of the same week, General Dynamics issued a statement emphasizing that in the last 15 years it has invested almost 500 million euros in Santa Bárbara systems between «capital expenditures, exports, and research and development.»
The assessment made by Esibano in Congress last week also took place in a context in which GDELS rejected an offer from Indra to acquire the Trubia company (Asturias), a factory where the armor of the 8×8 dragon takes place.
In fact, after General Dynamics’ rejection to sell the Trubia factory, Esibano also said during his appearance in Congress that Indra will buy a «great factory» from Duro Felguera in Gijón (Asturias) and will convert it.
«We will buy another great factory in Gijón, which was the one from Duro Felguera. We will keep those 120, 150 people who are in this factory and we will start making (military) vehicles,» said the manager.
Although he did not detail which plant or the amount of this potential acquisition, Duro Felguera has heavy boiler-making facilities specialized in manufacturing pressure vessels for the petrochemical industry and the nuclear sector called «El Tallaón.»
