EDGE and Anduril Industries announced the launch of a joint venture on 13 November – that will include the EDGE-Anduril Production Alliance – to accelerate design, development and manufacture of UAS for civil and military missions in the Middle East region. Definitive arrangements in line with required US and UAE approvals are currently being finalized.
Launching the collaboration is the Omen ‘tail-sitter’ Group 3 UAS, which combines “deep autonomy, operational intelligence, and local production to reinforce the UAE’s position at the forefront of autonomous air capability,” according to HE Faisal Al Bannai, EDGE Group Chairman in a joint release. Trae Stephens, Executive Chair at Anduril, echoes the sentiment. “Defence innovation is measured not by ideas, but by the pace at which those ideas translate into capability. With EDGE, we’re aligning the means of production with the urgency of modern deterrence,” he observed.
Omen builds on Anduril’s $850 million investment in mission autonomy technology and Group 3 VTOL development, coupled with nearly $200 million in new investment from EDGE. Together, the companies will take the aircraft from development to full-rate production by the end of 2028. The UAE is to acquire 50 of the type, thereby creating a production base that will anchor the new facility, expand local supply chains and accelerate the country’s path towards domestic mass production of autonomous dual-use aircraft. It also establishes a clear transition from co-development to serial production, operational deployment and future exports.
Powered by Anduril’s Lattice for Mission Autonomy software, multiple aircraft will coordinate flight paths, share sensor data and adapt behaviour in real time, enabling new missions that bring the capabilities of much larger systems to smaller units, more expeditionary in character. Omen’s lightweight, foldable frame will allow a two-person team to transport, assemble and launch the aircraft in minutes without specialised infrastructure. Built for endurance and heavier payloads than would normally be associated with a Group 3 aircraft, the platform will support missions ranging from maritime surveillance and logistics resupply to air defence sensing and communications relay.
An open, modular architecture will enable reconfiguration for diverse missions across both defence and civilian domains – for example, serving as an airborne cell tower to restore connectivity after natural disasters, support humanitarian relief, or deliver critical supplies to remote areas when ground access is cut off.
In addition to the EDGE-Anduril Production Alliance’s expected production and sustainment facilities, Anduril is creating a permanent UAE presence with a 50,000-square-foot R&D and virtual simulation centre, purpose-built to expand and evolve with future programmes. It will serve as a regional hub for engineering, design and prototyping – supporting development, integration and testing of advanced autonomous systems and related hardware. The joint investment ahead of need decreases the time between concept and fielded capability.
DA Comment
Bringing together two companies that have, each in their own way, disrupted the norms and expectations of the defence industry, this announcement has significant implications for the way business is conducted going forward. Investing ahead of need – not an option necessarily available to every company – is certainly a recipe for success once relevant procurement and procedural obstacles have been hurdled. Getting to that point and having the resilience and staying power to sustain the required pace is a gamble, but the agility and innovation Anduril and EDGE have already demonstrated are significant strategic assets to that end. The companies envision “a series of disruptive autonomous systems” to come out of the joint venture, indicating that both have their eyes on the long game.
A concrete step towards a more agile and more independent regional industrial base, the alliance reflects the philosophy shared by EDGE and Anduril: Move fast, invest ahead of time and deliver real capability.
Image of Omen courtesy Anduril Industries
