How UAE defence giant EDGE Group plans to double its exports
The UAE defence conglomerate has put an aggressive strategy in place to increase its share of exports while navigating the growing gap between East and West.
Raytheon Missiles & Defense is poised to move on to the preliminary design phase of the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) programme in the US, after it successfully completed the Systems Requirements Review – Prototype for the Missile Defense Agency.
GPI is a counter-hypersonic missile programme designed to provide a regional layer of defence against glide-phase hypersonic threats that might target the US and its allies.
Raytheon noted in a 20 September statement that its reduced-risk design concept for GPI is based on the Standard Missile that already equips USN vessels armed with the Aegis system.
At the same time, GPI promotes ‘critical technologies needed in the hypersonic environment’, said Tay Fitzgerald, president of strategic missile defence at Raytheon Missiles & Defense.
The UAE defence conglomerate has put an aggressive strategy in place to increase its share of exports while navigating the growing gap between East and West.
The US Congress has raised concerns about how inflation rates and cuts in main acquisition programmes could affect the US military.
Washington’s ageing inventory and the pace Moscow and Beijing have been modernising their capabilities put in check the US Nuclear deterrence.
The Pentagon has been operating under temporary funding since October 2023, which has impacted its main acquisition and development programmes, increasing the capability gap between the US and China.
In 2023, defence spending increased by an unprecedented 11% across European NATO countries and Canada. Since 2014, the group has spent an additional US$600 billion on defence.
The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.