Dubai Airshow: EDGE launches 42 new products

The UAE’s EDGE Group is displaying a total of 42 new products in the air and space domain at the Dubai Airshow expanding the company and UAE’s capabilities by adding engines for cruise missiles, new types of medium altitude long endurance (MALE) drone, and a new cruise missile to its production portfolio. 

“From a bold idea to a global force, we’ve now launched 42 new products in a single day and more than 250 across our portfolio. We are not only meeting the needs of the local market but competing globally, with over 53 per cent of our revenue now driven by exports,” Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO of the EDGE Group said. 

The company has advanced dramatically in that time, moving from a cluster of entities primarily serving the Emirati armed forces, to a large prime that is increasingly assertive on the international export market. The company’s export orders secured a total revenue of $2.1 billion in 2024, a staggering 11,251% increase over its 2019 export revenue of $18.5 million. This means that on average, the company’s export revenue has grown by 157% per year. The domestic customer remains important, reflected in the Group’s overall revenue of $4.9 billion in 2024, according to data released by EDGE in December 2024. 

The revenue growth has been accompanied by an aggressive increase in its product portfolio, going from 30 products in 2019 and the company’s first Dubai Airshow, to 201 in 2024 including 85 that were under development, and many capital capabilities like the Falaj 3 offshore patrol vessel. 

• EDGE to build Falaj 3 missile boats for Kuwait in record deal – Calibre Defence 
• Omen UAV unveiled by EDGE and Anduril – Calibre Defence 
• IDEX 2025: Caracal to manufacture CAR 816 assault rifle in Malaysia – Calibre Defence 

So, it should be no surprise that the company has continued that trajectory with its presence at the Dubai Airshow, which is very much home turf for the group, despite having a presence in countries around the world. Anyway, that sets the scene, let’s get down to the new products. 

Drones and weapons

EDGE prides itself on investing ahead of need, and has developed a number of autonomous products and UAVs. Most recently, the group announced its partnership with Anduril and the launch of Omen ahead of the Dubai Airshow. Omen is a new type of Group 3 UAV designed to perform a variety of roles that might normally be considered too demanding for its size. However, the company has added three additional UAVs to its product suite at the airshow. This includes Jernas-M, a MALE drone designed for persistent ISR and strike missions, as well as Strike, which is described as a rugged fixed wing weapon carrier designed to extend tactical reach. The third is Vortex-E, a counter-drone capability designed to minimise collateral damage. 

The aircraft are complemented by a new range of smart weapons, including two with some element of autonomous targeting and navigation. The Dark Wing for example is an air or ground-launched system with seekers that can be swapped, presumably allowing it to engage different target types. It is described as an “autonomous strike system.” The WSM-1 meanwhile is a long-range cruise missile that has “resilient navigation and AI-assisted terminal retargeting,” according to the November 16th press release. The set is rounded out by Thunder-E, which is designed to convert legacy aerial weapons into smart stand-off weapons, which sounds similar to Russia’s UMPK glide bomb concept, as well as the JDAM and Paveway weapons used by NATO. Essentially, they are kits added to conventional dumb bombs, usually with some sort of control surface that can steer them in flight as well as a guidance module. This builds on other products in the EDGE portfolio like the Thunder P-32, which converts bombs like the Mk 82 into a guided weapon with an accuracy of 3 metres CEP using semi-active laser guidance. 

EDGE has always taken a pragmatic approach to its product development, partnering with other nations where necessary to speed up its processes or build expertise. This was presumably the case with rocket and cruise missile motors until this year. “EDGE has expanded its propulsion portfolio to include air-breathing piston, turbine, microjet and engines, and a full range of solid, liquid, and hybrid rocket motors,” the press release adds. Engines can be a significant bottleneck in missile and weapon production as they may be one of the more complex elements in the case of microjet engines, or the materials will be in demand in the case of solid rocket propellants. 

Establishing a domestic supply for these systems not only furthers the UAE’s autonomy as a country, but also enhances the Group’s offering internationally. There is a relatively small collection of companies that build rocket motors and cruise missile engines, with one more added to the field, it could increase competition for the others. 

Radars and comms

When the EDGE Group was launched in 2019, the senior representatives speaking at the event made it clear that the group would be focused on next-generation capabilities. One element is AI, which is particularly relevant to electronic warfare and radars. This is because the data produced and used by these systems can be interrogated and understood by machine learning algorithms quite well. It does not need as much context as an optical recognition tool, for example. An air defence radar operating in war mode is most likely a distinct signal unlike any other, so processing it and understanding what is happening is eminently achievable for a set of machine learning algorithms. 

With that in mind, EDGE is also using the Dubai Airshow to launch its Al Harris X radar and the Ames P airborne reconnaissance pod. The Ames P is designed for all types of air platform and provides signal detection, geolocation, and “advanced electronic support capabilities.” In a nutshell, this indicates that it is an airborne signals intelligence (SIGINT) pod, which is a useful tool to have. Airborne SIGINT can provide a wider area of coverage than a ground-based system and can be used to locate signals of interest and generate coordinates based on those signals alone for further reconnaissance or targeting solutions. Al Harris X is described as an air defence radar using AESA technology for short-range air and drone defence. It uses AI for target classification and trajectory prediction, and is designed for coastal, border, and critical national infrastructure protection, according to the press release. 

• Royal Marines reach 2,000 MPU5 radios in service amidst UK comms woes – Calibre Defence 
• Euronaval 24: ADSB announces partners for RABDAN OPV – Calibre Defence 

To this, the company has also launched the KATIM GATEWAY X9000M, a pocket-sized network encryptor, which “delivers government-grade encryption in a compact, portable form for secure connectivity in all mission environments.” If you were observing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine closely in the opening days, you may be aware that Russia’s initial plans were discussed in the clear by the VDV – this simply means they were discussed over unencrypted radios. This trend continued as it became apparent that the Russian forces either could not, or would not encrypt their networks, continuing to rely on off-the-shelf walkie talkies instead. It is possible to listen in to radio communications with the right equipment, which is widely available, so encrypting military comms is an important issue for most. 

Calibre comment: EDGE, a serious contender

The EDGE Group’s presence at its sixth Dubai Airshow reflects the Group’s growth into a serious international contender and the success of its current business approach. Its broad portfolio of capabilities allows it to meet a range of customer needs and it will continue to use that portfolio to secure market share and increase its revenue. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on November 17th, 2025. The lead image shows the Jernas-M MALE drone on a runway. Credit: EDGE Group.