EDGE Group entity, Halcon, a regional leader in the design and production of guided weapons systems and beyond, has signed two major deals with the UAE Armed Forces worth AED5.8 billion ($1.58 billion) to supply advanced munitions.

 

The first contract worth AED4.7 billion ($1.28 billion) is to supply the UAE Armed Forces with Halcon’s Desert Sting 25 (DS-25), a light weight, air-to-surface precision-guided munition, designed to be deployed on multiple racks on aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

 

The second one worth AED1.1 billion is to deliver Hunter 2-S (swarming), Hunter 5 and Hunter 10 loitering munitions to the UAE Armed Forces.

 

Saeed Al Mansoori, Senior Vice President of Advanced Concepts (a business unit of EDGE), said: “The DS-25 is a precision munition with an effective standoff range and capable of integration onto a wide range of aircraft types. This contract will provide the UAE Armed Forces with flexibility in their air strike operations. We are delighted to be able to provide the UAE Armed Forces with this capability and further our relationship as we seek to provide innovative, UAE-made products.”

 

He added: “Halcon is also proud to be at the forefront of developing sovereign defence capabilities in line with the UAE’s ‘Make it in the Emirates’ initiative. Additionally, the DS-25 will be produced at our cutting-edge manufacturing facilities which exemplifies the UAE government’s Industry 4.0 initiative.”

 

The DS-25 is part of Halcon's Desert Sting line of lightweight, precision-guided glide weapons, designed to accurately strike targets with differing payloads and stand-off ranges. The contract for DS-25 PGMs underpins EDGE and Halcon’s commitment to the UAE Armed Forces in providing advanced systems and solutions that enable mission flexibility and ensure the safeguarding of the UAE.

 

Halcon's Hunter family of fixed-wing loitering munitions are designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and aerial strike missions. The Hunter 2-S is an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that features advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to perform coordinated missions in a swarm. Furthermore, the Hunter 2-S, 5 and 10 are transported in vehicle-mounted containers. The deal will mark a significant milestone for EDGE, as it includes the first UAE-made defence solution to integrate advanced AI.

 

Advanced Concepts is a new business unit within EDGE which is dedicated to the design and deployment of advanced, innovative technologies. Complementing existing EDGE capabilities in developing, producing, and commercialising new products, the unit focuses on accelerating the rapid development of critical innovation projects from concept definition and technical feasibility stage (TRL6+) to detailed engineering design, before handing these projects back to EDGE’s large portfolio of companies for industrialisation and commercialisation. - TradeArabia News Service