New Partnership to Develop Advanced USVs

By Caroline Rees / 24 Nov 2021

Uncrewed Marine Vehicles

Discover cutting-edge solutions from 17 leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Follow UST

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has signed a memorandum of understanding with EDGE Group to jointly design a first-in-class series of 17m Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) for the entire range of military and commercial applications.

iai-edge-signing
Right to left: Boaz Levy, President and CEO of IAI, Yehuda (Hudi) Lahav, EVP Marketing IAI, David Massey, CEO ADSB, HE Faisal Al Bannai, CEO & Managing Director of EDGE

EDGE is leveraging its entity, ADSB, the regional leader in the design, new build, repair, maintenance, refit and conversion of naval and commercial vessels, to collaborate with the Israeli defense company to develop the state-of-the-art USVs. 

While ADSB will design the platform, integrate the control systems and payload, and develop the concept of operations, IAI will develop the autonomous control system and integrate various mission payloads to the control system units according to the mission requirements.

Comprising of advanced sensors, sonars and imaging systems that are integrated into a unified command and control system, the USV can operate either remotely, semi-autonomously, or autonomously, requiring no human intervention. Designed to suit all customers’ requirements, the bespoke vessel will offer unique capabilities in terms of modularity, payload, range, maneuverability, and performance.

Military applications for the USV include:

  • Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
  • Border and littoral zone patrol
  • Maritime security operations
  • Mine detection and sweeping
  • Submarine detection and anti-submarine warfare
  • Deployment platform for VTOL vehicles 

The USV can be customized for commercial applications, such as:

  • Oceanography
  • Pollution monitoring
  • Oil and gas exploration
  • Transportation of materials and liquids
  • Search and rescue
  • Fire-fighting 
  • First interventions

His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and Managing Director of EDGE Group, said: “It is an important milestone for EDGE to forge collaborations with leading defense players such as IAI to strengthen our advanced technology portfolio. Through this strategic alliance, we can ensure optimal autonomous operational solutions that minimize risk to human life, address key challenges for various industries, and enable a secure future for all. These developments will open many doors for us in local and global markets, military and commercial alike.”

Boaz Levy, President and CEO of IAI, added, “We are proud to join hands with EDGE in this endeavor, which is another step towards our growing efforts and partnership in the region. This MoU brings together the best technological know-how from both companies – EDGE Group’s and ADBS’ naval and commercial vessel expertise, and IAI’s expertise in autonomous systems, robotics, and artificial intelligence – for a joint Made in UAE effort, maximizing both companies business opportunities and growth.”

Find suppliers & manufacturers of Unmanned Surface Vehicles >>

Posted by Caroline Rees Caroline co-founded Unmanned Systems Technology and has been at the forefront of the business ever since. With a Masters Degree in marketing Caroline has her finger on the pulse of all things unmanned and is committed to showcasing the very latest in unmanned technical innovation. Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

Loitering Munitions to be Integrated with Trillium Drone Camera Gimbals

Trillium Engineering has secured a Phase One contract with Raytheon to supply its HD25-LV drone camera gimbal for loitering munitions, supporting operations with tactical EO/IR solutions

Feb 18, 2025
Enhancing USV Navigation with 3D Forward Looking Sonar Technology

FarSounder’s Argos series 3D Forward Looking Sonars enhance USV navigation by providing real-time underwater awareness, overcoming charting limitations, and improving safety across diverse maritime applications

Feb 18, 2025
Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Powered VTOL UAV Introduced

BlueBird Aero Systems introduces the WanderB-VTOL Mini-UAS, built for rapid deployment in any environment and powered by new PEW Fuel-Cell Technology

Feb 18, 2025
Product Spotlight: XPedite7770 High-Performance Single Board Computer

The XPedite7770 from Extreme Engineering Solutions delivers secure, high-performance computing for unmanned systems, featuring Intel® Xeon® D-1700 processors, advanced networking, and SOSA-aligned architecture

Feb 18, 2025
European Drone Battery Maker Opens U.S. Operations

Tulip Tech, a European drone battery manufacturer, is expanding into the U.S. to meet rising demand, offering advanced, high-performance power solutions for drones

Feb 18, 2025
ArduSimple NTRIP RTK Setup for High-Precision Autopilot Navigation

In this tutorial, learn how to use ArduSimple's simpleRTK receivers with Mission Planner and QGroundControl to send NTRIP RTK corrections to your autopilot for improved accuracy

Feb 18, 2025

Featured Content

Military Vehicles to Feature Small Tethered UAS from Elistair

Elistair has secured a €3 million contract to equip military vehicles with tethered UAS, enhancing real-time intelligence and operational awareness

Feb 13, 2025
Ellipse Series Enhanced with Latest Firmware Upgrade

The new firmware update from SBG Systems integrates the latest World Magnetic Model (WMM) to improve navigation precision, even for first-generation Ellipse sensors

Feb 11, 2025
Advanced FOG-Based Inertial Sensing Solutions for Drones & Robotics

Aegiverse's products feature a multi-layered architecture that combines multiple elements into a compact module, providing significant, size, weight and cost reductions

Feb 06, 2025