Airforce Technology

Daily Newsletter

14 November 2023

Daily Newsletter

EDGE entity elevates Tejas capabilities with long-range precision munitions

The strategic partnership yields success as AL TARIQ achieves the initial integration milestone at Dubai Airshow 2023.

In a development announced today at the Dubai Airshow 2023, EDGE's advanced technology arm, AL TARIQ, unveils the completion of initial integration for its long-range precision-guided munitions (LR-PGMs) onto India's HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).

EDGE revealed the successful execution of feasibility studies for integrating AL TARIQ's LR-PGMs onto the HAL Tejas LCA. This achievement stems from a strategic memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year, solidifying the partnership between AL TARIQ, a joint venture of EDGE and Denel, and HAL, India's aerospace entity.

According to GlobalData's intelligence on "The UAE Defense Market 2023-2028", EDGE was formed by bringing together 25 of the nation's defence firms, and its focus is to spearhead the development of advanced weapons for the country's military.

The AL TARIQ LR-PGMs, known for their modularity, all-weather adaptability, and day/night precision, are designed for compatibility with the Mark 80 series and the Indian-designed High-Speed Low Drag aerial munitions. Adding a wing kit transforms the AL TARIQ-S (Standard Range) into the AL TARIQ-LR (Long Range), extending the stand-off range from 45km to 120km.

The CEO of AL TARIQ, Theunis Botha, expressed pride in collaborating with HAL, "We are proud to be associated with HAL in this strategic campaign to offer high technology solutions to the Tejas customers in the region. We look forward to presenting the range of AL TARIQ's mission-proven long-range precision-guided munitions to HAL Tejas customers around the globe."

The timeline for full integration and qualification of AL TARIQ's LR-PGMs on HAL's Tejas LCA is set for the third quarter of 2024. This development aligns with the broader campaign to offer an advanced, long-range precision weapon solution to the region and beyond.

This week, it was also announced that General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and EDGE had entered into a collaboration, marking the first instance of UAE-made smart weapons being integrated into a US unmanned platform, specifically GA-ASI's MQ-9B SkyGuardian.

The agreement involved incorporating EDGE's precision-guided munition (PGM) and guided-glide weapon (GGW) solutions, including the DESERT STING and THUNDER families from HALCON.

Space economy - A universe of relentless competition

Per GlobalData estimates, the space industry was worth $450 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of somewhere between 6% and 10% by 2030. Investor interest, evident gaps in the market, and advancements in space technologies have led to a surge in start-ups entering the space economy in the last five years. The unforgiving environment of space exploration is matched by the harsh financial reality of developing space technologies, which has made acquisitions of complementary companies, strategic suppliers, and partners more likely.