EDGE Unveils First UAE-made Family of Smart Loitering Munitions at IDEX 2021
21.2.2021 19:08:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
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
Arthur D. Little GEMRIX 2026 Report: The EV TRANSITION is Now an Ecosystem Race, With China Setting the Global Pace24.9.2026 13:15:00 EEST | Press release
Ecosystem, not vehicle technology is now decisive in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, and is responsible for sharp differences between markets. This is the key finding of Arthur D. Little (ADL)'s 2026 Global Electric Mobility Readiness Index (GEMRIX), which shows where ecosystems are ready and where structural gaps hold EVs back. China and Norway have both passed the point where EVs have achieved parity with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The most comprehensive study of its kind, the third edition of GEMRIX assesses 31 markets across five dimensions: macro factors, EV market/competition, customer readiness, public charging infrastructure, total cost of ownership and regulation. A score of 100 indicates broad market-readiness parity between EVs and ICE vehicles. The study highlights three global conclusions: A small group has pulled ahead. China (106) and Norway (103) are the only markets above 100; Singapore (96) and the Netherlands (90) follow closely. Sustained adoption co
Hytera Launches DIB-R6 SMART to Simplify TETRA Infrastructure and Enable Flexible Capacity Scaling24.9.2026 12:50:00 EEST | Press release
Hytera Communications, a leading global provider of critical communications technologies and solutions, announced the launch of the DIB-R6 SMART, a next-generation TETRA Digital Integrated Base Station. Engineered to simplify deployment and reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) of mission-critical networks, it combines a multi-carrier Software-Defined Radio (SDR) architecture with operational reliability and multi-layer security. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260923810257/en/ Hytera DIB-R6 SMART TETRA Digital Integrated Base Station "Critical communications cannot afford the luxury of downtime, nor should operators be constrained by rigid, overweight legacy hardware," said Calvin Wang, Vice President of Hytera. "By combining enterprise-grade TETRA capacity with built-in redundancy in an all-in-one design, the DIB-R6 SMART gives operators the flexibility to scale capacity on demand and deploy across enviro
MVC Group Acquires Tailfin, Entering the Premium Bikepacking Sector24.9.2026 11:30:00 EEST | Press release
MVC Group, a group specialising in technical apparel for cycling and outdoor sports, announces the acquisition of Tailfin, the global leader in the premium technical bikepacking segment. Founded in Bristol in 2017 by Nick Broadbent – CEO, mechanical engineer and product designer – Tailfin has rapidly established itself as a leading international name in premium bikepacking bags, racks and accessories, combining design and performance with a strong focus on innovation. The company has developed proprietarytechnologies protected by more than 20 granted and pending patents, building a leading position based on engineering excellence, materials research and rigorous product development and validation processes. Over the past five years, Tailfin has achieved average annual growth of approximately 50%, reaching almost €10 million in revenues in 2025 across global markets. More than half of its revenues were generated in the US, UK and Germany, as the company progressively expanded its intern
LTM Introduces BlueVerse ™ OneToken with Harnessing Capabilities to Optimize Token Spend24.9.2026 11:30:00 EEST | Press release
LTM, the Business Creativity partner to the world’s largest enterprises, today announced BlueVerse™ OneToken, a workload routing and governance layer with Harnessing Capabilities that automatically channels enterprise AI requests to the right model at the right cost. As enterprises scale agentic workflows, requests are often routed to expensive frontier models even when lower-cost options can deliver the required outcome. BlueVerse OneToken manages model selection across workloads including code, voice, service, research and agents, matching each task with the most appropriate model, based on the client’s quality, security and performance requirements. Clients can deploy BlueVerse OneToken over their existing AI environment, giving them a single subscription for AI consumption enabling them to consume AI through their existing cloud providers using OneToken plug-ins, available across AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. LTM manages any mix of frontier, mainstream, small language, and
CAIRDAC Announces the Appointment of Raymond W. Cohen as Chairman of its Board of Directors24.9.2026 10:49:00 EEST | Press release
CAIRDAC, SA, a pre-revenue stage medtech company developing a leadless, self-powered cardiac pacemaker (Autonomous Leadless Pacing System), today announced the appointment of Raymond W. Cohen as chairman of its board of directors. “We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Cohen to the CAIRDAC board of directors,” said Edouard Fonck, Chief Executive Officer of CAIRDAC, “Ray’s extensive track record in leading, scaling and exiting medical technology companies will, no doubt, be invaluable as we advance this exciting project.” Mr. Cohen, an accredited public company director and accomplished medical technology executive, has over four decades of medtech industry experience. He was the co-founder and CEO of Axonics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AXNX) a global leader in implantable neuromodulation devices that completed its initial public offering in 2018. Under his leadership, Axonics was recognized as the fastest-growing technology company in North America generating over $1.2 billion in revenue in the four years
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