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2025-11-11
EDGE Builds Future-Ready Air Defence Systems: Al Dahbashi
As conflict dynamics evolve, nations are investing in technologies to counter hypersonic weapons and low-cost asymmetric aerial threats. Leading this transformation, EDGE Group’s Missiles & Weapons Cluster is advancing innovation in guidance, targeting, and survivability.
In this exclusive interview, Saif Al Dahbashi, President of EDGE Group’s Missiles & Weapons Cluster outlines EDGE’s strategic direction, its advanced systems such as SKYKNIGHT and SKYSHIELD, and how the Group is shaping a future-ready, sovereign air defence ecosystem.
Within EDGE’s Missiles & Weapons Cluster, how are entities aligning to this new era of hypersonic weapons and low-cost asymmetric aerial threats?
The modern theatre is being redefined by the emergence of new technologies that offer new and powerful tactical and strategic capabilities. Hypersonic weapons outpace current air defence systems, while unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and loitering munitions have exposed the disproportionate costs associated with intercepting low-cost aerial threats. Within the Missiles & Weapons Cluster, we are producing systems designed to give operators the advantage in present and future theatres.
Our portfolio is focused on enabling smarter operations through advanced technology in guidance systems, survivability, targeting flexibility, and propulsion. Inversely, our rapidly deployable SKYKNIGHT air defence missile system is directly aimed at defeating modern aerial threats, from advanced missiles and manned aircraft to UAV swarms.
We are also aware of the need for a cost-effective lethality score. Recent conflicts have highlighted not only the critical requirement for advanced air defence architecture, but also for scalable interception. Through our ongoing partnership with Rheinmetall Air Defence AG, we offer end-users the Skynex SKYKNIGHT, a comprehensive and networked inner-layer air defence system capable of legacy systems integration.
Could you take us through where EDGE’s portfolio of air defence solutions is expected to be in five to 10 years?
We are focused on developing advanced, comprehensive, and sovereign air defence capabilities. This requires a complete ecosystem. Within EDGE’s portfolio of entities, we are accelerating the development timelines of critical technologies within air defence and synergising solutions.
Take our SKYKNIGHT air defence missile system as an example. We unveiled the system in February 2021, and in February this year, we had tested and proved the functionality of its remote launch control, vertical cold launch, missile tip-over control, transition to midcourse guidance control, missile flight control, and the MSU’s active electronically scanned array (AESA) multi-mission radar (AMMR) detection and tracking. In just four years, we have completed development for over 70 per cent of our advanced surface-to-air missiles (SAM) system.
Locally produced and owned propulsion systems are a critical element, and POWERTECH, part of EDGE Group, plays a pivotal role in this area.
In our radar portfolio, we have the TAWAQ family of 3D air-surveillance radars and the MTR-1 multifunction AESA radar. Our radar portfolio also utilises machine-learning-based AI to classify potential threats and speed up decision-making.
Coming back to the point of a cost-effective lethality score, we are developing the ALLAG-E interceptor as a hard-kill solution to counter low-cost UAVs and loitering munitions.
For the latest soft-kill technology, we offer the SKYSHEILD C-UAS solution. Available in naval, trailer-mounted, vehicle-mounted, and fixed-deployment variants, the SKYSHIELD combines advanced detection, identification, location, and tracking of radio signals with high-power GNSS and radio frequency jamming and spoofing systems.
For the latest soft-kill technology, we offer the SKYSHEILD C-UAS solution. Available in naval, trailer-mounted, vehicle-mounted, and fixed-deployment variants, the SKYSHIELD combines advanced detection, identification, location, and tracking of radio signals with high-power GNSS and radio frequency jamming and spoofing systems.
Our air defence programmes are positioned to reach advanced levels of maturity in the next ten years, and the bottom line for our customers is that they will have a comprehensive and scalable portfolio of high-performance solutions on offer to safeguard their national airspace.
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