- EDGE showcased sovereign command and control that orchestrates autonomous systems across the air and maritime domains
- The Group brought leading UAE defence and technology organisations together, combining their technologies to operate as one
Abu Dhabi, UAE: 21 October 2026 – EDGE has led the integration of sovereign autonomous systems for a UAE Navy demonstration of national and allied unmanned maritime capabilities, conducted with the participation of the United States Navy. The Group contributed planning expertise, host facilities and operational assets, with EDGE specialists working alongside both navies on its design and execution.
The demonstration presented the latest advances in maritime autonomy through a series of practical operational scenarios, in which unmanned surface vessels (USVs) carried out reconnaissance and protection missions supported by artificial intelligence, advanced sensors and sophisticated command-and-control (C2) systems. It also promoted the exchange of expertise between participants and offered insight into emerging innovations.
Hamad Al Marar, Managing Director and CEO, EDGE, said: “Building smarter machines is no longer enough to stay ahead. What matters is how well those machines are commanded and controlled, and the greater their autonomy, the more important orchestration becomes. Our focus is on connecting every system through a single command layer, with people defining the mission and AI managing how it is carried out. Through that layer, our sovereign capabilities and those of our allies shared a unified common operating picture, turning collaboration between partners, industries and technologies into coordinated action in the air and at sea.”
Technologies integrated by EDGE included TACTICA AI’s Naval Warfare C2 Centre for Autonomous Systems and HADAF, the sovereign targeting system grounded in doctrine, knowledge of military operations and rules of engagement, as well as the Maritime Autonomy Kit developed by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII). Drawn from across EDGE’s family of entities, the assets deployed also included the 170 M-DETECTOR, a 17-metre vessel with advanced autonomous control systems, the VORTEX-E counter-drone interceptor and the SKYSHIELD-N naval counter-unmanned aerial system. GPS-PROTECT anti-jamming technology safeguarded satellite navigation, while the MIRSAD-X multi-spectral electro-optical imager and radars supported detection and tracking.
The demonstration reflects EDGE’s role in advancing autonomous operations at sea. By deploying its unmanned systems alongside allied forces, EDGE is strengthening interoperability between partner navies as autonomy reshapes maritime defence.
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