Manufactured by hands and national cadres

Emirati companies compete with the world in the manufacture of unmanned military systems

UMEX and SimTEX are a strategic platform that brings together elite experts, decision makers and international companies.

Photography: Eric Arrasas

The exhibition "UMEX" and "Simtex" 2022, which kicked off yesterday in Abu Dhabi, witnessed strong participation from the UAE military industries companies, as they displayed their latest innovations in the manufacture of unmanned systems, simulation and training, in addition to artificial intelligence and robotics techniques, including unmanned aircraft. Vehicles without drivers, and submarines without sailors, which are manufactured by Emirati hands and cadres.

The two exhibitions, which were launched yesterday under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, will witness the participation of 134 international and local exhibitors from 26 countries. The participation of national companies in the two exhibitions constitutes 29% of the total exhibiting companies, while the percentage of new exhibitors is approximately 36%.

The Edge Group, the advanced technology group in the defense and other fields, unveiled the Scorpio-B, the latest model in its range of unmanned ground vehicles, during the first day of UMEX 2022, which is currently being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center.

Designed to support military and security forces in the most difficult conditions, the Scorpio-B can be equipped with remote-controlled weapons systems, dual 40mm grenade launchers, pan, tilt and zoom cameras, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors, and the ability to install different payloads. It weighs up to a maximum of 200 kilograms.

In addition to its great value to all of these operations, the Scorpio-B can be equipped to perform tactical surveillance, counter-terrorism, CBRN contamination detection, communications relay, and any other forms of hazardous missions.

The machine can easily reach difficult areas and terrain within cities and harsh environments via crawler propulsion, and its speed is 40 km/h and its ability to adapt to a road slope of up to 30 degrees.

The integrated command and control station allows one or two operators to control the functions of the ground-based vehicle and mission equipment systems, from a distance of up to five kilometers.

This is complemented by the mission planning and autopilot system from ADAISI.

Ali Al Yafei, CEO of ADASI, said: “We are pleased to unveil the latest addition to the Scorpio Group during UMEX 2022, the exhibition dedicated to drones, robots and unmanned systems, which is one of the most important events on our calendar.

We are pleased to continue building our customers’ trust in us nationally and internationally, by rigorously researching and developing our autonomous driving capabilities to increase mission readiness and, ultimately, enable a secure future for all.”

ADASI is part of the Platforms and Systems segment of EDGE, the advanced technology group for the defense and other fields, which is ranked among the top 25 military suppliers in the world.

During its participation, Al Qudra Company presented the robotic firefighting robot, which has strong capabilities in the field of fighting dangerous fires, as the CEO of “Al Qudra” company, Muhammad bin Hadeel, said that “the robot is the ideal solution to combat dangerous fires and provide protection for firefighters from the dangers of large fires.” He added that the robot has high capabilities in direct confrontation with fire, as well as its ability to pump large amounts of water, up to 10,000 liters per minute, and it is used as part of a first response system to fires, and helps firefighters to protect property and prevent secondary explosions, and the robot Provided with a lot of specifications depend on the customer's desire.

The Etimad Industrial Company offered drones of different speeds, manufactured by national cadres, and of different heights, and used for moving air targets and military purposes, and were developed according to the desire of customers.

SAP, the leading defense and security company in the UAE, has launched a robust and mobile communication system that works with the fifth generation technology and is used in military operations, crises and conflict situations. The system is being developed in the UAE, which reflects SAP's commitment to creating world-class Emirati defense and security solutions. To meet both national and global needs.

Anna Karen Rosen, General Manager of SAP in the UAE, said that "Duploy Net" adds a high value to military and civilian organizations that require solid and fast-moving communications systems that operate over the fifth generation network with LTE/5G technology. The new, locally made product is popular not only in the UAE market, but also in international markets, especially in areas that lack stable communication networks.

The use of the "DoubleNet" system provides the ability to broadcast live video in high definition, real-time conversations, and fast data transfer.

The system can be modified in terms of the number of users and scope, and the importance of using the features of dpwinet lies in various tasks such as enhancing the security of military and security bases, search and rescue operations, reconnaissance, mission training and crisis management.

This solution includes handy hardware, power supply, dedicated system management tools, and robust, compact and durable communications equipment for easy mobility.

It is worth noting that the two exhibitions are a strategic platform that brings together elite experts, decision-makers, senior officials and academics, as well as major international companies and regional and global partners from the public and private sectors, to discuss and review the latest global technologies and advanced solutions to confront security challenges, in addition to the latest innovations in the business sectors. Which is witnessing rapid changes and developments at the regional and global levels.

• 29% of all companies exhibiting in the two exhibitions are national companies.

654.6 million dirhams Ministry of Defense deals

The Ministry of Defense signed three deals with local and international companies with a total value of more than 654.6 million dirhams, distributed among contracts for local companies with a total value of more than 649 million dirhams, and foreign contracts with a total value exceeding five million and 795 thousand dirhams.

The deals included a deal with the International Golden Group to purchase drone systems worth 10 million dirhams, and another deal with Global Aerospace Logistics to provide technical support, maintenance, repair and spare parts services, with a value of more than 639 million dirhams.

It also included a contract with Denel SOC Ltd, trading as Denel Dynamics in South Africa to provide technical support for aircraft systems with a total value of more than five million and 597 thousand dirhams.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news