• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2023: How the MQ-9 Reaper UAS came to rule the skies

  10th November 2023

  Ahead of the 2023 edition of the Dubai Airshow, Shephard looks at the GA-ASI MQ-9A Reaper UAS, its role in shaping modern conflict dynamics, and its deployment for surveillance and precision strike throughout the Middle East.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force strategic programmes to be affected by budgetary uncertainty

  15th November 2023

  The operation under continuing resolutions can impact the schedule of several US Air Force efforts including the B-21, AMRAAM and C3BM.

• Air Warfare

  MBDA's Enforcer missile system gears up for full-scale production for Germany

  31st October 2023

  As the Enforcer system awaits approval from the Bundeswehr, the full-rate production has been scheduled to commence before the end of 2023. MBDA has also been exploring various Enforcer variants including an air-launched version.

• Air Warfare

  Enhancing military pilot training: Overcoming challenges in integrating VR and MR technologies

  9th November 2023

  While VR has gained popularity in military pilot training for its cost-effectiveness and risk mitigation, MR technologies are yet to overcome obstacles similar to what VR faced in its earlier stages.

• Air Warfare

  France enters talks with Saudi Arabia for potential sale of 54 Rafale fighter jets

  25th October 2023

  Saudi Arabia had officially requested a detailed quote from Dassault for 54 Rafale fighter jets, with a deadline of November 10 for a response. The estimated cost for the deal could rise to nearly US$8 billion.

• Air Warfare

  India to strengthen China and Pakistan borders with final S-400 SAM system deliveries

  7th November 2023

  India's full acquisition of its S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems has been fast approaching its final stages, as officials from India and Russia prepare work on finalising the delivery schedule for the last two squadrons.

• Defence Notes

  Middle East and Europe stay on radar for Brazilian defence industry

  4th July 2022

  The Brazilian government continues to seek ways of encouraging national defence industry exports to the potentially lucrative Middle Eastern and Eastern European markets.

• Air Warfare

  Checkmate and Okhotnik face trouble despite positive spin from Rostec

  28th June 2022

  Western sanctions, imposed on Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine, mean that Rostec will struggle to bring its much-vaunted Checkmate and Okhotnik programmes to fruition.

• Air Warfare

  Drones can wait as modernising Serbia looks to France for fighters

  20th April 2022

  As Serbia was already taking steps to expand and modernise its air force before the Ukraine war, has how the conflict altered its defence policy and which security partners is it now looking towards?

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  WDS 2022: Saudis scale up with Samoom UCAV

  7th March 2022

  The Samoom UCAV has a wingspan of 24m and a mission endurance of 24h.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  EDGE showcases Hunter-2 at UMEX

  22nd February 2022

  The smallest member of the Hunter UAV family went on display at the UMEX/SimTEX exhibition in the UAE.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2021: All relatively quiet on the F-35 front

  19th November 2021

  A planned $23 billion FMS package for the UAE has still not been fully approved, 12 months after it was first proposed.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2021: UAE Air Force expands multirole tanker fleet

  15th November 2021

  The UAE has ordered two more A330 MRTTs.

• Defence Notes

  Dubai Airshow 2021: MoU deepens Brazilian defence ties with UAE

  18th November 2021

  The UAE is among the top five importers of Brazilian defence products over recent years — and a new MoU seeks to strengthen this relationship.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2021: Leonardo puts AW609 in the spotlight

  17th November 2021

  A prototype AW609 performed its debut trade show demonstration flight and there is a hint of Saudi interest — but what about the potential sale of tiltrotors to the UAE?

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  HT-100 (November 2023) [Undisclosed]

  Background Dubai Airshow 2023 At the Dubai Airshow 2023, EDGE Group announced that it had accepted an order for six HT-100 drones. The drones will ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Garmoosha [UAE]

  Programme Background First Contract In an interview with Shephard at the Dubai Airshow 2021, Faisal Al Bannai, CEO of EDGE, stated the development of the ...

• AEW&C

  GlobalEye (1-3) [UAE]

  Programme Background The GlobalEye is a modification of Bombardier's Global 6000 jet aircraft fitted with the S-band Erieye Extended Range (ER) radar and mission system ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  HT-100 (January 2026) [Undisclosed]

  Background UMEX At UMEX 2026 in January, the company told reports, namely Breaking Defense, that it was set to deliver the UAV under a 661.19 ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  QX-2 [Brazil]

  Background Four-Day Tour On 3 August 2023, EDGE Group announced that it had hosted a four-day delegation from the Brazilian Marine Corps (CFN), showing it ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  JERNAS-S [UAE]

  Background 2023 At the Dubai Airshow 2023, held in November, EDGE Group announced that the UAE Armed Forces had acquired 100 units of the Reach-S, ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A330 MRTT (4-5) [UAE]

  Programme Background United Arab Emirates Air Force had a requirement for three tanker aircraft. Boeing confirmed that the UAE sent an official request for three ...

• Maritime patrol

  Challenger 650 ISR - UAE

  Programme Background In February 2019 at IDEX, the UAE announced that it will procure a new special mission aircraft with an option for the second ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Gambit [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Adding to the MQ-9B Deal Speaking to Breaking Defense at the Dubai Airshow 2025, GA-ASI President David Alexander stated that the MQ-9B procurement programme was still in ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [Qatar]

  Background Saudi Arabia Speaking to Breaking Defense at the Dubai Airshow 2025, GA-ASI President David Alexander stated that Saudi Arabia was working to sign a procurement ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB3 [UAE]

  Programme Background UAE and Türkiye Cooperation Speaking to Defence News at the Dubai Air Show 2023, held in November, Faisal Al Bannai, chairman of the board ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9B [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background Biggest International Deal Speaking to defence media outlets at IDEX 2025, GA-ASI President David Alexander stated that the company was in the early stages of working on ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Garmoosha [Brazil]

  Background Four-Day Tour On 3 August 2023, EDGE Group announced that it had hosted a four-day delegation from the Brazilian Marine Corps, showing it its ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Gambit [UAE]

  Background Saudi Arabia Speaking to Breaking Defense at the Dubai Airshow 2025, GA-ASI President David Alexander stated that Saudi Arabia was working to sign a procurement ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Tejas LCA (India)

  Programme Background The Indian Navy was supposed to procure 50 Tejas LCAs, also known as the LCA-N. However, in 2017 the navy decided to abandon ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Reach-S

  The Reach-S is a MALE UAS manufactured by HALCON, a subsidiary of EDGE Group.  Debuted at the Dubai Airshow 2021, the UAV is powered by an Austrian Rotax 912 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  SINYAR

  The SINYAR is a developmental jet-powered UCAV which EDGE Groip unveiled at Dubai Airshow 2023. Aimed at defence and special forces, the drone is based on ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Reach-M

  Unveiled at Dubai Airshow 2023, the Reach-M is described as a MALE UCAV designed for ISR and light ground attack operations. A larger version of the ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  AR-2000

  Unveiled by the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) at the Dubai Air Show 2023, the AR-2000 is a large rotary-wing drone designed for ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  A-Hawk I (Cloud-1)

  Part of a strike-capable ISTAR series of A-Hawk platforms is the A-Hawk I (Cloud-1) VTOL developed by AVIC. Reports indicate that the A-Hawk I enables ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Hunter 2

  The Hunter 2 is a mini-UAV and loitering munition unveiled by EDGE subsidiary HALCON at the Dubai Airshow 2021. The platform is tube-launched and is ...

• Loitering munitions

  ANSHAR

  Unveiled at the Dubai Airshow 2023, the ANSHAR is a Brazilian loitering munition manufactured by Mac Jee.  According to Mac Jee, the drone can host ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  United 40 Block-5

  The United 40 was unveiled at the Dubai Airshow 2011 and is a MALE UAV with a twin-wing configuration and a hybrid turbine-electric engine. The ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  JERNAS-M

  Unveiled at the Dubai Airshow 2025, the JERNAS-M is a fixed-wing aircraft from ADASI, a subsidiary of the EDGE Group. According to EDGE Group, the UAV ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Hunter 5

  The Hunter 5 is a mini-UAV and loitering munition unveiled by EDGE subsidiary HALCON at the Dubai Airshow 2021. The platform is tube-launched from a ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  Uncrewed Checkmate

  At the Dubai Airshow 2021, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the parent company of Checkmate manufacturer Sukhoi Design Bureau, announced its intention to manufacture an uncrewed version of ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Vectis

  Unveiled in September 2025, the Vectis is an MALE fixed-wing UAV from Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. The UAV is designed to operate alongside 5th and next-generation ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  A-Hawk II (Cloud-2)

  The A-Hawk II (Cloud-2) is an armed quadrotor UAV that is part of the strike-capable ISTAR series of A-Hawk platforms developed by Aviation Industry Corporation ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  JERNAS-S

  The JERNAS-S, formerly known as the Jeer, is a fixed-wing UAV developed by ADASI, a subsidiary of the EDGE Group. The UAV is designed to conduct ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  Yabhon United 40

  Unveiled at the Dubai Airshow 2013, Yabhon United 40 is a high-altitude, long-endurance UAV with a twin-wing configuration, allowing the centre of gravity to remain in the ...