EDGE Group entity, Halcon, has secured an $880m (AED3.2bn) contract to supply a range of precision-guided munitions to the UAE Armed Forces.

As agreed, Halcon will deliver Thunder and Desert Sting precision weapon systems to the armed forces.

The Thunder is a short-range guided bomb kit system that leverages an inertial measurement unit and global navigational satellite system measurements to hit pre-programmed target coordinates.

The system comes in different configurations. It can also be equipped with a semi-active laser seeker to improve precision.

Desert Sting system is a lightweight guided weapon system that can be fitted with a custom-designed warhead. It operates with a HALCON-designed stores interface unit (SIU). Sister company Lahab is responsible for filling the Desert Sting warhead.

The system can be launched from aircraft and uncrewed aerial vehicles.

Halcon CEO Saeed Al Mansoori said: “At AED3.2bn, this is a significant contract on a global scale for this type of weapons system.

“It is with a great sense of responsibility for having been entrusted with this undertaking that we move ahead in confidence that the performance of our systems will fully justify the UAE Armed Forces trust in us.”

The UAE-headquartered EDGE Group is a technology company that focuses on developing solutions for defence and other industries.

Separately, the company’s other entity EARTH signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Lockheed Martin.

As agreed, EARTH will provide repair and sustainment services for the Modernised Targeting and Designator Sensor (M-TADS) systems, which are used by UAE Apache helicopter pilots.

Earlier this year, EDGE partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to co-develop an advanced counter-uncrewed aircraft system (C-UAS).