Edge Group unveiled 11 new unmanned and autonomous systems for intelligence and striking missions at the IDEX 2023 international weapons show in Abu Dhabi. The Emirati defence group also unveiled a wide range of “made in the UAE” items, including freight transport planes.
The rotary-wing “Airtruck” was created for strategic logistics assistance such as troop supplies in remote regions, medical evacuation, and surveillance. It has a maximum range of 360 kilometres and a cruising speed of 120 kilometres per hour. Many armies have adopted a wait-and-see strategy regarding logistics drones, but innovative resupply and combat evacuation techniques that keep human pilots out of harm’s way continue to hold a lot of appeal. A fresh wave of systems is being prepared for deployment right now.
The U.S. Army has created a fully autonomous Black Hawk chopper, and several companies and organisations have sent cargo drones to support Ukrainian military in the context of Russia’s assault on Ukraine. The UK has sent the heavy-lift Malloy T150 quadcopter, and 40 Spartacus Hurricane search and rescue drones are rumoured to have been sent by American manufacturer Aquiline. Edge’s QX6-50, a rotary-wing drone, can transport payloads weighing up to 50 kilos for a distance of 200 kilometres. Jeniah, a brand-new unmanned combat aerial vehicle, has a maximum ammunition payload of 480 kilos and a top speed of 1,000 km/h.
Edge recently bought a majority stake in the Estonian business Milrem Robotics and displayed two of its state-of-the-art UGVs at the exhibition. Sortie Cargo, a budding business with headquarters in Torino, Italy, is another business that Edge has expressed interest in. The UAE organisation has contacted the business about the potential sale of the RUAV724, a long-range freight aircraft, which is currently being polished in anticipation of its first trial flight later this year.
Sortie Cargo’s integration of a rocket engine and a turbojet engine into their systems is what distinguishes their technology from others. Edge’s drones only use turbo-jet engines, resulting in increased fuel consumption and lower payload capacities. The RUAV 724 has a delivery range of 2,500 kilometres and can be launched from any location at a maximum speed of 1,000 kilometres per hour, while the 170-M Detector unmanned surface vessel can be set up for either manned or unmanned operations and can run in electric propulsion mode for four hours straight at up to 40 knots without making a sound.
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