Delivery is part of a deal worth more than €1 billion
United Arab Emirates defense group EDGE has delivered six HT 100 NAVAL unmanned helicopters to the Angolan Navy. The delivery is part of an agreement valued at approximately €1 billion, signed in 2023.
The aircraft were handed over after completing Factory Acceptance Trials at the end of August in Switzerland, at facilities operated by ANAVIA, the EDGE subsidiary responsible for producing the helicopters.
All six systems complete operational flight testing
The evaluation campaign included the first operational flight tests of all six HT 100 NAVAL systems. The successful completion of the trials cleared the way for their delivery to the Angolan Navy.
According to the company, the handover represents a major milestone in integrating the unmanned helicopters with the BR71 MK II corvettes and strengthening Angola’s maritime surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Two helicopters assigned to each corvette
The 2023 agreement was signed by Abu Dhabi Ship Building, another EDGE subsidiary, and includes three BR71 MK II corvettes, each measuring 71 meters in length. The vessels represent the main element of the deal with the Angolan naval authorities.
The six unmanned helicopters are expected to operate from the corvettes, with two aircraft assigned to each ship. The systems will be fully integrated with the vessels’ combat management systems.
The HT 100 NAVAL helicopters are equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors designed to extend the corvettes’ surveillance and reconnaissance reach while supporting the detection and tracking of maritime targets.
EDGE promotes a fully integrated naval solution
Khaled Al Zaabi, president of EDGE’s platforms and systems division, said the program combines naval platforms and unmanned systems into an integrated solution tailored to Angola’s operational requirements.
The cooperation between EDGE, Abu Dhabi Ship Building and ANAVIA is intended to provide the Angolan Navy with more than combat vessels alone by combining ships, sensors and unmanned platforms into a unified operational capability.
Corvettes are being built in France and the UAE
Abu Dhabi Ship Building subcontracted French shipbuilder CMN Naval to construct the first and third corvettes. Work on those vessels is taking place at the company’s shipyard in Cherbourg, France.
The second corvette is under construction in Abu Dhabi at the facilities of the Emirati shipbuilder.
Company targets further expansion in international markets
Angola is not the only overseas market targeted by Abu Dhabi Ship Building. The company has announced export ambitions in Asia, West and East Africa, as well as Brazil.
For the foreseeable future, more than half of the company’s order book is expected to come from international contracts.
