Image: Anduril

The UAE and US-linked defence firms EDGE Group and Anduril announced a joint venture on Thursday to design, manufacture and sustain next-generation autonomous aircraft in Abu Dhabi, the companies said — anchored by an initial Emirati purchase of 50 Omen hover-to-cruise Autonomous Air Vehicles (AAVs). The partnership, branded the EDGE–Anduril Production Alliance, aims to accelerate regional production capacity for dual-use autonomous systems, the companies said in a joint statement.

Joint venture and strategic intent

EDGE, the UAE-based advanced technology and defence conglomerate, and Anduril, a US defence-technology company, will form a jointly owned production, sales and sustainment vehicle to serve military and civil customers across the Middle East and neighbouring regions, according to the announcement. The partners said they are finalising commercial and regulatory arrangements and will work with US and UAE authorities to secure required approvals.

The alliance pairs EDGE’s regional footprint and supply-chain relationships with Anduril’s software-driven development model — notably its Lattice command-and-control platform — with the stated aim of delivering “affordable, fieldable mass” of autonomous systems for modern deterrence and expeditionary operations.

Omen: a runway-independent Group 3 AAV

The first product to emerge from the venture is Omen, described as a compact, hover-to-cruise Group 3 AAV that combines the endurance and payload of larger systems in a runway-independent airframe. Anduril will supply mission-autonomy technology built on its Lattice software; EDGE will contribute funding and regional manufacturing capability. The companies said Anduril has invested about $850m in mission autonomy and Group 3 VTOL development, with nearly $200m in new EDGE investment supporting the programme.

Omen is intended for multi-domain missions including maritime surveillance, logistics resupply, sensing for air-defence, and communications relay. The platform’s modular architecture and foldable, lightweight frame are designed to allow two operators to transport, assemble and launch the vehicle without specialised infrastructure, the statement said. The partners also highlighted potential civilian applications such as disaster connectivity and humanitarian resupply.

Production, timeline and follow-on capacity

The UAE has committed to an initial purchase of 50 Omen systems, which the companies said will provide a guaranteed production base and accelerate development of local supply chains and serial production. EDGE and Anduril plan to take Omen from development to full-rate production by the end of 2028.

Systems destined for regional customers will be manufactured by the EDGE–Anduril Production Alliance in the UAE; US orders are expected to be met at Anduril’s Arsenal-1 facility in Ohio. To support engineering and testing, Anduril will establish a 50,000 sq ft research, development and virtual simulation centre in the UAE as a regional hub for integration and prototyping.

Governance, compliance and regional implications

Both companies emphasised that activities under the joint venture will require appropriate US and UAE government approvals and will comply with trade-control and regulatory regimes. EDGE Chair H.E. Faisal Al Bannai said the partnership embeds advanced autonomous engineering in the UAE and accelerates the nation’s ability to build and field next-generation systems. Anduril co-founder Trae Stephens described the alliance as aligning “the means of production with the urgency of modern deterrence,” according to the joint release.

The venture signals a deepening of commercial defence industrial ties between the US and the UAE and represents a concrete step toward establishing a regional production base for software-defined autonomous platforms, the companies said.

Source: Anduril Press Release