United Arab Emirates’ defense technology conglomerate EDGE Group entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) – Israel’s major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, to develop a counter-unmanned aircraft system c-UAS solution for the UAE market.
The system that is to be developed will leverage IAI’s c-UAS solutions and technology from electronic warfare service provider SIGN4L, an EDGE company.
Comprising of a combination of IAI and SIGN4L products, the solution will include detection and identification systems (radar and optics, RF), soft kill solutions (jamming, cyber take over) and hard kill capability (guns, missiles, electromagnetic and laser). The c-UAS is envisioned as fully autonomous requiring no to limited human interference. A series of countermeasures, ranging from jamming to drone destruction, will be offered based on the level of threat and the customer’s targeted operating environment.
Both SIGN4L and IAI will leverage their technical capabilities to jointly develop the system in response to specific customer needs, the companies said in a statement. Further support will be available via IAI’s partnership with Belgium Advanced Technology Systems, Belgium, which has a local technical and marketing presence in the region.
“In line with the recent Abraham Accords and the UAE’s newly established cooperation and spirit of collaboration with Israel, EDGE and IAI are joining forces to deal with this growing threat,” Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and managing director, EDGE, said.
As EDGE invests extensively in autonomous capabilities, our co-development of a counter-UAS in partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries will only help strengthen our advanced technology portfolio, and partnerships in the region and internationally,” he added.
“IAI is proud to join forces with EDGE, to provide the UAE and the wider region with a unique and advanced solution in what is a key area of expertise for IAI. This MoU serves as a stepping-stone for further business and strategic alliances between our countries, and will enhance cooperation for R&D and technological innovation,” Boaz Levy, president and CEO of IAI, commented.
