UAE’s EDGE Partners With Israel Aerospace Industries to Develop C-UAS

Logo of EDGE
Logo of EDGE
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UAE’s EDGE Partners With Israel Aerospace Industries to Develop C-UAS

Logo of EDGE
Logo of EDGE

UAE’s EDGE for advanced defense technology signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to develop an advanced C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System) tailored to the Emirati market, with wide-ranging benefits for the MENA region and beyond.

EDGE is leveraging its subsidiary, SIGN4L, a leading provider of electronic warfare services and solutions for national security, to collaborate with IAI, Israel's major aerospace and aviation manufacturer, for developing C-UAS solutions that are applied around the world to detect, identify, and intercept a broad range of threats.

EDGE issued a statement explaining that advanced 3D radar, COMINT (communications intelligence), and Electro-Optic technologies will be integrated into a unified command and control system, which makes the C-UAS fully autonomous requiring no human intervention.

“A series of countermeasures, ranging from soft-kill solutions, such as spoofing and jamming, to hard-kill capabilities, such as lasers and electromagnetic pulses, are offered based on the level of threat and targeted operating environment.”

Both SIGN4L and IAI will leverage their technical capabilities to develop the system in response to specific customer needs. Further support will be available via IAI’s partnership with Belgium Advanced Technology Systems which has a technical and marketing presence in the region.

EDGE CEO and Managing Director Faisal al-Bannai described joining forces with IAI as a “defining moment” for the company.

“As EDGE invests extensively in autonomous capabilities, our co-development of a Counter-UAS will help strengthen our advanced technology portfolio.”

IAI President and CEO Boaz Levy asserted the company’s pride in collaborating with EDGE to provide the UAE and wider region with a unique and advanced solution.

“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.”

This agreement comes in light of wide cooperation between the UAE and Israel, after the signing of a peace treaty and the development of full bilateral relations, following the conclusion of the Abraham Accords last August.

UAE and Israel agreed to sign bilateral agreements in the sectors of investment, tourism, security, communications, technology, energy, health care, culture, environment, and other areas of mutual interest.



US State Department to Asharq Al-Awsat: Trump Visit Stresses Saudi Arabia’s Pivotal Role in Resolving Regional Crises

Regional spokesman for the US Department of State Samuel Warburg speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat. (Turki al-Aqaili)
Regional spokesman for the US Department of State Samuel Warburg speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat. (Turki al-Aqaili)
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US State Department to Asharq Al-Awsat: Trump Visit Stresses Saudi Arabia’s Pivotal Role in Resolving Regional Crises

Regional spokesman for the US Department of State Samuel Warburg speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat. (Turki al-Aqaili)
Regional spokesman for the US Department of State Samuel Warburg speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat. (Turki al-Aqaili)

Regional spokesman for the US Department of State Samuel Warburg said that US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday will focus on bolstering peace efforts in the region through cooperation with allies.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Warburg stated that the visit reflects, without any room for doubt, the important and strategic role Saudi Arabia plays in the region.

The US sees the Kingdom as a pivotal partner in efforts to boost regional security and stability, he added.

The visit to the Kingdom will not overlook the role Saudi Arabia has played in hosting negotiations related to the war in Ukraine and its role in easing tensions in Sudan and Yemen, he remarked.

The US values the Kingdom’s initiatives in supporting political solutions to conflicts and its ongoing efforts to secure energy markets, he said. It also values its contributions towards achieving regional stability through regional and international diplomacy.

Trump will discuss with Saudi officials strategic files related to regional security, defense cooperation and investments in technology and renewable energy, Warburg told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The visit will bolster cooperation over threats to marine navigation in the Red Sea, as well as developments in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Iraq and confront Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the region, he revealed.

Commitment to partnership

Warburg noted that this was Trump’s first official foreign visit since his reelection as president. Heading to Saudi Arabia on his first visit reflects the United States’ deep commitment to its strategic partnerships in the Middle East.

Moreover, the visit is taking place at a critical time when the region is facing rising security and economic challenges, while the US is seeking to bolster its cooperation with Gulf partners in the defense and energy fields, and in investment, he added.

The visit will also tackle means to expand joint efforts to confront regional threats, such as Iran’s destabilizing behavior, the war in Ukraine and the need to restore peace in Gaza, he remarked.

On the bilateral level, Trump’s visit is an important opportunity to deepen the strategic partnership between the US and Saudi Arabia in the fields of defense, security, investment and energy, he stated.

The US is keen on strengthening this cooperation to confront regional and international challenges and build more diverse and sustainable economic ties that focus on joint interests, he stressed.

Furthermore, Trump’s visit underscores Washington’s firm commitment to strengthening its alliances with main partners in the Middle East, he said.

Strategic consultations

The US is committed to working with regional partners to reach sustainable political and diplomatic solutions to crises and supporting efforts to restore calm in Gaza and reach a permanent ceasefire, as well as confronting threatening activity in the Red Sea, Warburg remarked.

On Iran, he refrained from elaborating on the current negotiations taking place between it and the US.

He stressed, however, that Trump’s policy is clear: The US will not allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons. Washington will use all means of political and economic pressure to prevent it from developing nuclear arms.

He also stressed the need to confront Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the region.

Warburg noted Saudi Arabia’s efforts in achieving stability in the region and containing international crises. The US welcomes the Kingdom’s pivotal role in facilitating negotiations that were held between American, Russian and Ukrainian representatives.

The talks, which were held in Riyadh earlier this year, led to tangible progress in several humanitarian files.