EDGE wins largest-ever contract to deliver 200 unmanned helicopters to UAE

Middle East, News January 28, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

UAE’s largest defense technology manufacturing firm, EDGE, has signed a contract to deliver over 200 HT-100 and HT-750 unmanned helicopters to the UAE Ministry of Defense.

The aircraft systems will be manufactured by Switzerland-based EDGE entity, ANAVIA, which specializes in the development and manufacturing of autonomous aerial capabilities.

The HT-100, a compact model, and its larger counterpart, the HT-750, are versatile unmanned helicopters designed for various roles in Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) as well as logistics missions. These helicopters excel in transporting substantial payloads while ensuring remarkable flight stability, thereby establishing a benchmark for autonomous flight capabilities.

President of Platform and Systems of EDGE Group, Khaled Al Zaabi said, “This landmark deal marks an important milestone both for the HT-100 and HT-750 systems and for EDGE.”

The latest contract is the largest military equipment deal between the UAE-based defense technology firm and the country’s Ministry of Defense. It is also one of the largest aircraft production orders for ANAVIA. The EDGE group took over the Swiss unnamed aircraft manufacturer in November 2023 after acquiring 52% shares in the company.

*^{UAE defense firm EDGE’s HT-100 unmanned vertical take-off & landing helicopter. (Image Credit: EDGE)}*

Al Zaabi added that the deal “exemplifies EDGE’s strategy of pursuing mutually beneficial partnerships worldwide, as we have done with ANAVIA, which allow us to expand the scope of our technological capabilities across multiple domains while ensuring sustainable growth for both partners, and playing our role in the development of sovereign capabilities across the air, land, and naval domains.”

Dubai Air Show 2023

EDGE came to the spotlight during the Dubai Air Show last year when it bagged at least $1.8 billion worth of deals. The United Arab Emirates military signed the largest deal with EDGE for its REACH-S fixed-wing UAV.

The company’s flagship military 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 is also working on advanced innovative remotely piloted vehicles. Last week, during the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) and Simulation and Training Exhibition (SimTEX) 2024, the UAE-based defense firm unveiled three new unmanned products, including the GY300 short take-off and landing unmanned rotorcraft which can transport a payload of 300kg at low cost.

EDGE's GY300 short take-off and landing rotorcraft — *^{UAE defense firm EDGE’s GY300 short take-off and landing rotorcraft. (Image Credit: EDGE)}*

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 last year, 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.