EDGE Unveils First UAE-made Family of Smart Loitering Munitions at IDEX 2021
EDGE, an advanced technology group for defence and beyond, today launches its first family of multirotor loitering munitions, the QX range. In addition, Shadow 50 and Shadow 25, Rash 2 gliding munition kit, as well as new variants of the RW24 range – all designed and manufactured in the company’s first year of operations – were unveiled on the first day of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2021), that is underway at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre until 25 February.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210221005030/en/
EDGE launches QX range- its first family of multirotor loitering munitions (Photo: AETOSWire)
The unveiling of the Class-1 electric unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) took place at the EDGE pavilion in the presence of His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and Managing Director of EDGE and Ali Al Yafei, CEO of ADASI.
His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, CEO & Managing Director, EDGE, said: “Right now, drone technology is revolutionising our world with the full potential of unmanned and autonomous capabilities still to be further explored – not just in the military sector, but the commercial sector too.”
He added: “Through launching the first UAE-made family of smart loitering drones, EDGE marks a significant milestone as a key technology enabler and in boosting the country’s autonomous capabilities and AI integration. With the future increasingly relying on unmanned systems that provide a higher degree of tactical flexibility, we have invested extensively to fast-track R&D investments in these domains, bringing related products to market with speed.”
The QX family of loitering munitions comprises four products: QX-1, a micro-UAV, QX-2, a mini-UAV, QX-3, a small UAV, and QX-4, which features an impressive vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fixed wing. The precision-guided systems use sophisticated AI algorithms to target and strike, boasting an accuracy of 1 m CEP (circular error probable) – with an aim similar to laser guided munitions. Built to launch in any environment or terrain, the entire QX family of UAVs are lightweight, man portable, and comprise VTOL capabilities.
The second range of loitering munitions consists of Shadow 50 and Shadow 25. As the name implies, Shadow 50 can carry a payload of 50kg – exactly double its counterpart. Shadow 25 is a high-speed system equipped with a jet engine and boasts a short reaction time. Delivering high precision strike against fixed targets and advanced guidance capabilities, these UAVs leverage Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and can fly using video navigation systems in GPS denied Environment.
Also launched on Day 1 of IDEX, the Rash 2 is a fixed-wing guidance kit for mortars and other in-house designed payloads, capable of gliding in flight and directing munitions to ground targets, available in different sizes to accommodate varying payload capacity, range, and endurance. ADASI has secured AED 55 million contract to supply Rash 2 to the UAE Armed Forces, marking the first order of the newly launched product.
Three new additions to the RW-24 range were also launched in time for IDEX 2021. The newly unveiled RW-24 Seeker is equipped with a thermal automatic seeker that enable greater accuracy of engagement of moving targets and increased functionality within GPS-denied environments.
The RW-24 Extended Warhead and RW-24 Extended Range variants increase the payload capacity from 8 kg to 13 kg, enabling the drone to carry additional fuel or to increase the size of the warhead.
EDGE is an advanced technology group that ranks among the top 25 military suppliers in the world.
About EDGE
EDGE is an advanced technology group established to develop agile, bold and disruptive solutions for defence and beyond. Enabling a secure future, it is dedicated to bringing innovative technologies and services to market with greater speed and efficiency. Consolidating over 25 entities and employing more than 13,000 brilliant minds, it offers expertise across five core clusters: Platforms & Systems, Missiles & Weapons, Cyber Defence, Electronic Warfare & Intelligence and Mission Support. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, EDGE is a catalyst for change – set to revolutionise the industry and change its fundamentals.
*Source: AETOSWire
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210221005030/en/
Contact information
Thushara Mohanan
media@edgegroup.ae
+971-555080413/ +971-55-3584520
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
ARIS Announces New CEO to Lead Agentic AI-led Strategy7.1.2026 11:00:00 EET | Press release
CEO Appointment ARIS, a global leader in process intelligence and transformation software, today announced the appointment of Guillaume Bacuvier as Chief Executive Officer. Guillaume will lead ARIS through its next phase of growth as a fully standalone company, accelerating its evolution from a market leader in Process Intelligence into a foundational platform for enterprises deploying and governing Agentic AI. Guillaume brings deep international leadership experience across technology, data, and software-enabled businesses, with a proven track record of scaling global platforms and leading complex organisations. After starting as a strategic consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, Guillaume spent over a decade at Google, rising to Vice President in EMEA where he built and scaled some of Google’s largest data-driven businesses in Europe and held P&L responsibility across multiple countries. In the last decade, Guillaume has served as CEO of multi-continent, data-centric companies including
I Squared Capital Acquires Ramudden Global, a Leader in Traffic Management and Infrastructure Safety7.1.2026 10:00:00 EET | Press release
I Squared Capital, a leading global infrastructure investment manager, today announced that, through its flagship fund, it has agreed to acquire Ramudden Global, from funds advised by Triton Partners (“Triton”), a leading European mid-market sector-specialist investor. Ramudden Global is a leading international provider of traffic management and infrastructure safety services supporting the maintenance and upgrade of essential transport and utility networks. The company operates more than 190 depots across 13 countries in Europe and North America delivering mission-critical services that help to ensure safety, regulatory compliance and continuity of service across road, utility and broader infrastructure works. This investment underscores I Squared Capital’s commitment to investing in essential, regulated, infrastructure businesses that underpin public safety, mobility and economic activity. Ramudden operates in markets where demand is steady and growing and benefits from deep commerci
RoslinCT and BOOST Pharma Announce Strategic Manufacturing Agreement to Advance Cell Therapy for Infants with Osteogenesis Imperfecta7.1.2026 10:00:00 EET | Press release
RoslinCT, a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in advanced cell therapies, and BOOST Pharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class cell therapies for rare paediatric skeletal diseases, today announced a strategic manufacturing partnership to support the development of BOOST Pharma’s cell therapy, BT-101, for the treatment of infants with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), also known as brittle bone disease. Under the service agreement, BOOST Pharma has transferred its manufacturing process to RoslinCT’s state-of-the-art facilities in Edinburgh, Scotland. The partnership will progress toward GMP manufacturing of starting materials and clinical drug product, supporting Phase III clinical development of BT-101. The therapy is an allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) product designed to address the underlying cause of OI at the earliest stages of life. BOOST Pharma was founded on pioneering science originating from Karolins
Daiichi Sankyo and GENESIS Pharma Enter Exclusive Agreement for VANFLYTA ® Commercialization in Central and Eastern Europe7.1.2026 09:30:00 EET | Press release
Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and GENESIS Pharma have entered into an exclusive license and supply agreement for the distribution and commercialization of VANFLYTA® (quizartinib) in 13 markets across Central and Eastern Europe for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Under the terms of the agreement, Daiichi Sankyo will be responsible for the manufacturing and supply of VANFLYTA while GENESIS Pharma will lead medical affairs, market access and commercialization efforts in Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Financial terms of the agreement are not being disclosed. VANFLYTA was approved in the EU in November 2023 for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD positive AML in combination with standard cytarabine and anthracycline induction and standard cytarabine consolidation chemotherapy, and as maintenance monotherap
Thales Powers CES*-Winning Post-Quantum Chip From Samsung Electronics7.1.2026 09:15:00 EET | Press release
Quantum computers, with their unprecedented processing power, will ultimately challenge today’s encryption standards. This is why Thales welcomes the CES 2026 recognition awarded to the new post-quantum–ready security chip from Samsung Electronics' System LSI Business, which embeds Thales’ secure operating system and quantum-resistant cryptographic libraries. This breakthrough represents a major step forward in protecting connected devices against both current cyberattacks and tomorrow’s quantum-era threats. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260106145232/en/ Thales’ hardened OS enables Samsung's award-winning security chip to deliver hardware-based, quantum-resistant protection from the moment devices power on. Ultimately, it ensures that encrypted data and device credentials remain secure against both classical and quantum attacks, preserving confidentiality, integrity and long-term trust, even in a post-quantu
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom