UAE’s EDGE Group made a significant impact at the EDEX 2023 defence exhibition in Cairo of Egypt by presenting its extensive range of defence products with a keen emphasis on autonomous systems, smart weapons and ammunition.

This showcase underscores EDGE Group’s ambition to expand its export potential, leveraging its cutting-edge defence technologies. Currently, 160 products are included in EDGE’s portfolio, including advanced weapon systems, such as missiles, firearms, electronic warfare means and cyber technology solutions, while the Group has secured over 200 significant contracts globally.

Desert Sting family

This family of missiles consists of 3 variants of lightweight, air-platform released, precision-guided, glide, ground strike weapon systems.

Technical characteristics of DS-5 / DS-16 / DS-25:

• Weight: 10 kg /23 kg / 47 kg
• Warhead: 5 kg / 12 kg / 25 kg
• Range: 18 km / 16 km / >22 km
• Accuracy: 3 m CEP
• Guidance: GNSS assisted IND with SAL seeker 
• Release altitude: 30.000 ft 
• Fuze: Impact / Height of Burst

Al Tariq family

Modular family of precision-guided kits for the 120/250/450 kg series of aerial bombs. Designed to fulfil operational needs for high accuracy, long stand-off range engagements against stationary, moving and re-locatable targets in a GPS-denied environment.

Al Tariq is an advanced tactical solution with all-weather, day or night operational capability.

The system enables enhanced targeting accuracy by utilizing Dual-mode GNSS-assisted seekers;

• Imaging Infrared (IIR) with Automatic Target Recognition (ATR),
• Semi-active Laser (SAL) seeker.

Technical characteristics of AL TARIQ S – STANDARD RANGE / AL TARIQ LR – LONG RANGE:

• Range: 30 – 45 km / 90 – 120+ km
• Warhead: 250 kg – 450 kg / 250 kg – 450 kg (MK 81/82/83)
• Fuze: Height of Burst (HOBS)
• Accuracy: < 2m CEP

The main advantages of the system in question – compared to its competitors – are its “Fire-and-Forget” mode, wireless aircraft integration, target versatility (pre-planned and Targets of Opportunity), variable attack azimuth and variable attack angle (up to 90°).

Thunder family

Thunder is a family of short-range, guidance kits that can be fitted to the MK-82 (P-32) and the MK-81 (P-31) general-purpose aerial munitions. Thunder utilizes inertial guidance augmented by global navigation satellite system (GNSS) information (GINS). A semi-active laser seeker configuration further improves accuracy performance against designated targets. 

Technical characteristics of P-31 / P-32:

• Weight:  140 kg / 240 kg 
• Warhead: 110 kg / 209 kg 
• Range: >20 km
• Accuracy: 3 m CEP 
• Release altitude: 40.000 ft 

The Thunder-4, another member of the Thunder family, is a short-range, guidance kit that can be fitted to the MK-84 general-purpose aerial munition, integrating the same guidance features of the rest of the family.

Thunder-4 technical characteristics:

• Weight:  1150 kg 
• Warhead: – 
• Range: >15km
• Accuracy: 3 m CEP 
• Release altitude: 30.000 ft 

A second article with an emphasis on Unmanned Systems, presented by EDGE Group at the said exhibition, will follow shortly.

Also read: IDEX 2023 | EDGE GROUP unveils new achievements of the UAE defence industry – Photos