US, UAE arms form joint venture to develop Omen drones

LONDON - America's defense technology company Anduril Industries and the UAE's state-owned defense conglomerate EDGE Group have on Thursday formed a joint venture called the EDGE Anduril Production Alliance in Abu Dhabi focused on developing AI-powered drones IN THE Gulf emirate.

This collaboration centers around an initial Emirati order of 50 Omen autonomous air vehicle (AAV) systems, with plans for local production, support, and export of the platform from the UAE.

The Omen drone is a Group 3 category autonomous air vehicle featuring hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities with transition to forward flight. It is compact, foldable, and transportable by a two-person team without heavy infrastructure, allowing deployment from rough terrain or forward sites. The drone combines the endurance and payload capacity of larger systems with tactical flexibility. It operates on Anduril’s Lattice autonomy software, enabling drone swarms that share sensor data, adjust trajectories in real time, prioritize objectives, and contribute to localized operational pictures.

This partnership leverages Anduril’s mission autonomy technology and software expertise, along with EDGE's industrial capacity and regional presence. EDGE has invested around $200 million alongside Anduril’s prior $850 million investment in related technology, aiming for full-rate production of the drone by the end of 2028. The joint venture also includes plans for a 50,000-square-foot R&D and virtual simulation center in Abu Dhabi to support engineering and prototyping, positioning the UAE as a regional hub for autonomy-enabled defense systems.

The Omen drone is designed to complement larger systems in tactical roles such as maritime surveillance, critical infrastructure protection, and persistent ISR coverage over choke points and coastal areas. Its open architecture supports modular payloads like electro-optical or infrared sensors and communication relays.

The collaboration represents a strategic fusion of US disruptive technology with the growing Emirati defense industrial base, aiming to set future standards for drone swarm operations in the Middle East and beyond.