Spanish Navy awards EM&E Group contract for Guardian 2.0 remote weapon stations on Marine Corps VAMTAC ST5 vehiclesThe Spanish Navy has selected EM&E Group to supply 12 Guardian 2.0 remote weapon stations (RWS) to equip its Infantería de Marina’s URO VAMTAC ST5 light tactical vehicles, the company announced on LinkedIn.The move marks another step in the Spanish Armed Forces’ ongoing drive to enhance protected firepower and crew survivability on light armored platforms through domestically developed, sovereign-technology systems.EM&E Group, the Spanish defense engineering and manufacturing specialist formerly known as Escribano Mechanical & Engineering, described the selection as a milestone that underscores its long-standing partnership with the Spanish military. The Guardian 2.0 systems will be fitted to VAMTAC ST5 vehicles operated by the Marine Infantry, replacing or augmenting manually operated weapons and significantly reducing crew exposure to enemy fire during operations. The contract, valued at approximately €4.08 million according to Spanish defense reporting, was awarded by the Navy’s Logistics Support Command. While EM&E Group did not disclose the exact delivery schedule, the announcement aligns with broader Spanish efforts to modernize legacy VAMTAC fleets and standardize remote-weapon technology across services. The Guardian 2.0 is already in Spanish Army service on the VCR 8×8 Dragón infantry fighting vehicle and forward-observer variants, demonstrating the system’s maturity and cross-service commonality.
The Guardian 2.0 is a lightweight, two-axis gyro-stabilized RWS designed for rapid integration onto a wide range of light and medium vehicles. It supports multiple weapon configurations, including 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, and 12.7 mm machine guns, the MK-19 40 mm automatic grenade launcher, and the M134D 7.62 mm Gatling gun. It can also accommodate up to 12 smoke or artillery grenade launchers. The station features independent line-of-sight (LOS) and line-of-fire (LOF) capability, day/night electro-optical sensors, laser rangefinder, and full stabilization for accurate engagement while the host vehicle is moving. Its modular architecture allows rapid weapon swaps and integration with external C4I networks, while programmable inhibition zones enhance safety during joint operations. In hard-kill counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) configurations, the Guardian 2.0’s high-rate-of-fire options (particularly the Gatling or MK-19 variants) provide a kinetic solution against low, slow, and small drone threats, a capability increasingly relevant to littoral and expeditionary operations conducted by the Infantería de Marina.
The URO VAMTAC ST5 is the latest iteration of Spain’s indigenous high-mobility tactical vehicle family, widely used by both the Spanish Army and Marine Corps. The ST5 variant offers improved mobility, ballistic and mine protection (STANAG 4569 Level 3 in armored configurations), and fording capability tailored to amphibious and littoral missions. Equipping these vehicles with the Guardian 2.0 will transform them into more lethal, protected fire-support platforms while maintaining the light footprint required for rapid deployment from Spanish Navy amphibious ships. Externally it is similar in appearance and design to the Humvee of the United States Military due to similar requirements. More than 2,000 of the vehicles have been delivered to the Spanish Armed Forces. Several other countries operate the VAMTAC as well, and it has seen in service most recently in Afghanistan and Syria. The vehicle comes in three models, named I3, S3 and ST5, and has several configurations.
The deal reinforces EM&E Group’s position as a key player in Spain’s push for technological sovereignty in land systems. The company maintains full vertical integration—from design and precision mechanical manufacturing to system integration—allowing rapid iteration and compliance with national security requirements. Guardian 2.0 has also been promoted internationally in both land and naval configurations (as the related Sentinel family), with prior exports and demonstrations underscoring its export potential.For the Infantería de Marina, the upgrade delivers improved situational awareness, precision engagement, and force protection in contested littoral environments where small boats, drones, and ground threats converge. The combination of stabilized remote fire control and multi-caliber flexibility will enhance the Marines’ ability to provide suppressive and direct fire while minimizing risk to embarked crews during ship-to-shore transitions or inland maneuvers.EM&E Group has not yet released additional details on training, logistics support, or potential follow-on orders, but the announcement signals continued momentum for Spanish industry in delivering advanced, cost-effective solutions to its primary customer.
