UAE-based EDGE Group’s unit HALCON, a regional leader in the production and supply of precision-guided weapons, has secured an $880 million (AED3.2 billion) worth contract from the UAE Armed Forces for its Thunder and Desert Sting range of precision-guided munitions.
HALCON is part of the Missiles & Weapons cluster within EDGE, an advanced technology group for defense and beyond that ranks among the top 25 military suppliers in the world.
It’s the second major contract won by EDGE Group’s subsidiary at the five-day Dubai Airshow 2021. The Thunder range includes a variety of aerial weapons (differentiated by weight and warhead size), all of which are based on the same technology.
According to the statement, it is a cost-effective, short-range system that combines an inertial measurement unit and global navigational satellite system measurements to guide it to pre-programmed target coordinates. A semi-active laser seeker can optionally be fitted to improve precision.
Desert Sting is a lightweight guided weapon with a custom-designed warhead that uses a HALCON-designed stores interface unit (SIU) and can be deployed on multiple weapon (2 or 4) racks on aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The contract confirms HALCON’s family of guided missiles’ combat-proven capabilities, having met the stringent conditions imposed by the UAE Armed Forces.
Saeed Al Mansoori CEO HALCON
“At $880 million (AED3.2 billion), this is a significant contract on a global scale for this type of weapons system. It is with a great sense of responsibility for having been entrusted with this undertaking that we move ahead in confidence that the performance of our systems will fully justify the UAE Armed Forces trust in us.”
HALCON now boasts autonomous technology capabilities in areas including guidance and control, navigation, aerodynamic design, weapon flight control computers, warheads, and servo systems. Most importantly, it has also increased its capacity in fuze manufacturing compatible with the Mk81, Mk82, and Mk83 series of aerial munitions.
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