United Arab Emirates defence producer EDGE will integrate weapons with unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) produced by Turkey’s Baykar, starting with the Bayraktar TB2.
The initial collaboration between the two companies will see EDGE’s Desert Sting 16 guided glide munition integrated onto the TB2, with other weapons to follow, says the UAE company.
“Integration of the Desert Sting 16 and other EDGE weapons and systems will be valuable options in our UAV payload offerings,” says Selcuk Bayraktar, chairman and chief technology officer of Baykar.
“Our strategic alliance agreement with EDGE, an international leader in advanced technology, will provide further options to our client base.”
The TB2, which has seen service with Ukraine against Russia, is a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV optimised for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as ground-attack missions.
Desert Sting 16 is a 23kg (50lb) weapon that featues a semi-active laser seeker alongside an intertial and satellite-based guidance system.
In November 2023, EDGE entered an agreement with another Turkish company, Roketsan, to explore the development of smart weapons.
That month, at the Dubai air show, EDGE also announced that its Desert Sting and Al Tariq weapons would be integrated with the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian, marking the first time the US manufacturer has integrated non-NATO weapons with one of its UAVs.
The UAE is a potential sales candidate for 18 MQ-9Bs, although US export concerns and worries about Abu Dhabi’s warm ties with China are holding this deal up.
