Spanish Firm Escribano M&E Secures Contract for SIVE Maintenance from Guardia Civil
ESCRIBANO Mechanical & Engineering (EM&E), a prominent Spanish enterprise in groundbreaking solutions and technologies for Defence and Security, has secured a contract for the majority of the upkeep of the permanent installations of the Integrated External Surveillance System (SIVE) of the GUARDIA CIVIL across Spain. ESCRIBANO has clinched lots 2, 3, 4, and 5 of maintenance, competing against significant firms like INDRA, which have managed the SIVE maintenance for over two decades.
Specifically, ESCRIBANO has been assigned Lot 2: Deployment of Las Palmas, Lot 3: Strait of Gibraltar Area, Lot 4: Southeast Area, Lot 5: Levante Area, collectively amounting to over 19 million Euros, which could potentially double in the forthcoming years upon the granting of the respective extensions. Notably, ESCRIBANO chose not to bid for Lot 1: Deployment in Tenerife and Lot 6: Galicia Area, which have been awarded to INDRA, approximating 3.4 million Euros.
The other Spanish firm that received a contract, participating in Lot 7 for the project’s logistics management support services, is TRC, totaling around 800,000 Euros.
This marks the inaugural occasion that a comprehensive manufacturer of domestic electro-optical systems will oversee the maintenance of the SIVE, which has been stewarded for over 20 years by Spanish companies that opted for outdated foreign technologies. However, this isn’t ESCRIBANO’s initial collaboration with GUARDIA CIVIL. It’s worth noting that the electro-optical sensors chosen in 2020 by the GUARDIA CIVIL for the upgrade of the SIVE were the Spanish company’s OTEOS-S systems, which are currently deployed in the SIVE and replacing the outdated technologies in use.
ESCRIBANO will collaborate with another Spanish manufacturer, ART, an expert in radar production and designated by SIVE for radar modernisation, to execute this maintenance, thus advancing its strategy of national industrial partnership and advocating for the autonomy of Spanish technology.
Furthermore, the OTEOS electro-optical system has also been endorsed by the GUARDIA CIVIL Armament Service for border oversight in Ceuta and Melilla, and by the GUARDIA CIVIL Maritime Service for installation on medium and high-altitude vessels aimed at combating illegal immigration and trafficking of illicit goods along the Mediterranean coast, as well as within the Balearic and Canary archipelagos, monitoring Spanish waters and adjacent areas. This system is designed for maintenance ease and features a modular and configurable architecture incorporating cutting-edge HD and infrared sensor technology capable of identifying and tracking targets up to a distance of 20km. Additionally, ESCRIBANO, in collaboration with the Spanish TRC, has been tasked with developing an innovative solution to enhance security in GUARDIA CIVIL rural locales.
ESCRIBANO, which also holds national contracts with the Army, Navy, and Customs Surveillance, will mobilize its resources, capabilities, and technology throughout Spain to guarantee comprehensive maintenance of the stations, sensors, radars, and SIVE apparatus, contributing to enhancing the efficiency and operability of the sensor stations while providing essential technological advancements and updates to the GUARDIA CIVIL, acting as both the manufacturer and maintainer of its technology.
