Tel Aviv: EDT – a leading UAE-based integrator for comprehensive defence solutions, and Steadicopter – a leader in the Rotary Unmanned Aerial Systems (RUAS) industry, are joining forces regarding the supply of Steadicopter’s advanced rotary tactical unmanned aerial systems. The two companies will adapt Steadicopter’s RUAV products to meet the emerging requirements of various customers within the UAE and other specific market segments.
“As EDT continues to serve its customers with innovative, novel, unique, tailor-made solutions, we had scouted Steadicopter and its Eagle family – a platform of solutions which fits synergistically with other solutions manufactured in the region,” says Mohamed Bin Jabr Al Suwaidi, Owner & CEO of EDT. “We found that Steadicopter’s systems, which are used by various armed forces around the world and have already been operationally proven in various missions, meet the highest standards and needs of our customers. We are proud to launch them in the UAE, using both companies’ strengths and relevant accumulated experience, and anticipate that this will be a long-term cooperation that will cater to the needs of various defence and HLS organizations. We continue to prioritize investments and partnerships that meet current and future needs.”
“We thank EDT for expressing confidence in the unique and proven systems developed by Steadicopter,” says Noam Lidor, VP Sales, Marketing & Business Development at Steadicopter. “We believe that, together, we will be able to provide comprehensive solutions for various end users. At the upcoming IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi, we will for the first time present the Black Eagle 50H in its new configuration, for the benefit of intelligence missions in challenging environmental conditions, and the protection of land and sea borders.”
Steadicopter’s Eagle family delivers exceptional, unprecedented, proven solutions for a wide range of military, HLS and civilian applications. The Eagle family provides full-featured solutions for any in-field requirement, enabling vertical take-off and landing and steady hovering, with advanced mission sensor suites for day and night operation. Weighing only ~20 kg as a platform, each model has the capacity to carry additional batteries for longer flights, heavier payloads and more.
The Black Eagle 50H is the first ever hybrid-powered unmanned helicopter. With a maximum takeoff weight of 50 kg, the system can carry multiple payloads, and is capable of up to five hours of flight time – extremely high endurance when compared to other VTOL platforms when carrying such heavy payloads. This enables high performance and maximum operational flexibility for various applications, such as military, low intensity conflict, law enforcement, search & rescue, cyber security, intelligence, offshore rigs and strategic infrastructure protection, high-end maritime missions and civilian applications.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
