UAE defense firm Edge bags $1.8 billion deals at Dubai Air Show
Middle East, News November 21, 2023 1 Comment on UAE defense firm Edge bags $1.8 billion deals at Dubai Air ShowUAE-based defense firm, EDGE Group, announced that it inked at least $1.8 billion in deals over the last few days at Dubai Air Show. The United Arab Emirates military signed the largest deal with EDGE for its REACH-S fixed-wing UAV.
UAE Ministry of Defense signed one of the largest deals with the EDGE Group during the Dubai Air Show for procurement of its latest REACH-S drones. Neither the Defense Ministry nor EDGE confirmed the value of the contract, however, some independent sources estimated the deal to be at least $1.1 billion in value.
Under the deal, EDGE Group would deliver 100 units of REACH-S, one of the UAE’s first locally-made medium altitude, long endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) along with ammunition that includes MK-81, MK-82, MK-83, and MK-84 air-to-ground missiles.
“This contract reflects our ambitions to develop capabilities that meet future needs in the long term. We look forward to continuing to provide support and strengthening our commitment to the Ministry of Defense,” President of EDGE’s Missiles & Weapons unit Hamad Al Marar said in a statement.
According to the EDGE, The REACH-S will provide the UAE Armed Forces with a cost-effective, 24-hour intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. The aircraft features autonomous take-off and landing, a mount on the underbelly for an electro-optical sensor, and the ability to fly up to 200 kilometers away from the Ground Control Station, making it ideal for border security and long-range operations.
By acquiring locally manufactured drones, the UAE military plans to bolster its already sizable fleet of attack and surveillance drones, which largely consists of platforms acquired from China, Turkey, and the U.S.
REACH-S Drone
REACH-S bears a lot of similarities to the Turkish Bayraktar TB-2 drone. It has a twin-boom configuration with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 kilograms. The drone can carry 120 kilograms of payload with an endurance of 24 hours.
Once in service, REACH-S will likely be armed with lightweight munitions also developed by the group. Other features of the platform include an automated takeoff and landing system and a line-of-sight control system.
EDGE Group
Based in Abu Dhabi, the EDGE Group is only four years old, but the company has made a rapid expansion and now consists of more than 25 subsidiaries, along with interests in foreign firms as far away as Estonia and Brazil.
During the Dubai Air Show, one of EDGE’s subsidiaries Adasi signed a $132.6 million deal with the Emirati Defense Ministry for RASH 2M and 2H “modular glider” systems designed to convert aerial munitions into precision-guided ones.
Just prior to the start of the airshow, EDGE also announced that it acquired a Swiss unmanned rotary craft maker, and during the show, the conglomerate’s HT-100 unmanned chopper saw an order from an unidentified foreign customer.
Agreements signed by Edge at Dubai Air Show 2023
Edge Group signed several agreements at Dubai Air Show 2023 including these:
- Edge and Turkish defense company Roketsan signed an agreement to explore potential partnerships in smart weapons, focusing on joint development.
- An MoU was signed at Dubai Airshow between Edge and Calidus, a UAE-based provider of next-generation aeronautical and land system, to integrate Edge precision-guided munition and guided-glide weapon solutions onto the B-250 light attack aircraft and other Calidus platforms.
- Edge Group entity EPI signed a Letter of Intent with Thales Group to explore joint procurement opportunities for industrial parts and engineering services.
- Edge received its first major order from the UAE Armed Forces for 100 locally-manufactured REACH-S fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). REACH-S is one of the first locally-made medium altitude, long endurance (MALE) UAVs.
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[…] defense firm, EDGE Group, signed deals worth at least $1.8 billion at Dubai Air Show. This includes the UAE Ministry of Defense’s largest deal with EDGE for its […]