Eurosatory 2024 – EDGE into Europe

Showing its comprehensive range of defence products at Eurosatory for the first time, the UAE group EDGE highlighted precision-guided munitions, air defence missiles, UAVs and armoured vehicles

Miles Chambers, the company’s Vice President, International Business, said that EDGE already had several agreements with European companies, including Spain’s Indra, to develop and manufacture next-generation radar systems in the UAE, opening a pipeline of orders for approximately 300 advanced radar solutions.

In the unmanned aviation sector, the Swiss-based EDGE entity, ANAVIA, which specialises in the development and manufacturing of autonomous aerial capabilities, received a contract to supply 200 HT-100 and HT-750 unmanned helicopters to the UAE Ministry of Defence, as part of a milestone deal which is the largest ever order for unmanned helicopter systems. The HT-100 is a high-performance lightweight carbon helicopter with a payload of up to 60 kg and a flight time of 360 minutes. It features a Flettner double rotor system, electric drive, and redundancy system. It offers high payloads, flight stability, safety and performance for land and coastal ISR missions.

Chambers said that the ADASI QX-3 mini UAV quadrotor loitering munitions system, designed to put a powerful aerial capability in the hands of infantry and special forces through the 20 kg UAV with the capacity to carry up to four precision-guided munitions, will be in production by the end of the year.

EDGE’s armoured vehicles manufacturer Nimr is continually developing its range of armoured vehicles for different environments. Chambers said that there is always a trade-off between protection and mobility.  The challenge is to develop new power management systems and new hybrid systems to power the ever-increasing number of sensors, defensive systems and fire control systems need to be developed. He added that EDGE supports customer demands, always looking for alternative technological advanced solutions.

EDGE’s Nimr is also collaborating with John Cockerill, the Belgian armoured vehicle systems manufacturer, to develop and market the Cockerill i-X interceptor vehicle in key markets.

Photo by D. Oliver