Abu Dhabi, UAE: EDGE has signed a contract with Morocco’s Administration of National Defence (ADN), the body overseeing defence procurement for the Royal Armed Forces, to supply its DESERT STING 16 (DS-16) guided-glide weapon and THUNDER P-31 precision-guided munition to the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF).
Signed at the Marrakech Air Show 2026, the contract covers the supply of both weapons and their integration across the RMAF’s fleet of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs).
The contract reflects EDGE’s long-term commitment to the Kingdom of Morocco and to Africa, one of its priority growth markets. EDGE works with its partners through flexible, open business models, shaping each programme around the customer’s operational requirements and integrating its systems onto the platforms they already operate.
Saif Al Dahbashi, President of Missiles & Weapons, EDGE, said, “This contract is built around delivering the performance that the Royal Moroccan Air Force’s missions demand. We move at the speed our partners need, and every system we deliver is backed by assured supply and long-term sustainment. By putting mission-ready precision capabilities in the hands of the Royal Moroccan Air Force, we are establishing EDGE as a trusted partner to the Kingdom and laying the foundations for an enduring relationship.”
DS-16 is a 23 kg guided-glide weapon with a range of up to 15 km, while THUNDER P-31 converts the MK 81 general-purpose munition into a precision-guided munition with a range of up to 10 km when released from unmanned aerial vehicles, and 20 km from high-speed, high-altitude platforms. Both combine GNSS-assisted inertial navigation with an optional semi-active laser seeker, and both are developed and manufactured in the UAE.
Under the contract, EDGE will integrate both weapons across the RMAF’s UCAV fleets, covering the aircraft modifications and software required to carry and employ them operationally.
The contract marks EDGE’s latest step in supporting African partners as they secure their borders, coastlines, and territorial waters. In Angola, EDGE is delivering a EUR 1 billion naval modernisation programme comprising three BR71 MK II Combattante corvettes and six HT-100 NAVAL unmanned helicopters, and has signed a Letter of Intent for a multi-year border security programme with the country’s Ministry of Interior.
