Vendors flock to the United Arab Emirates to sell naval drones

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The UAE military’s focus on autonomy has translated into growing investments in naval assets and made it an increasingly attractive player for foreign manufacturers of undersea vehicles.

The emphasis on uncrewed maritime systems serves to plug manpower shortages and capability gaps, as the Gulf country’s naval branch is its smallest force at roughly 3,000 active personnel.

Abu Dhabi has adopted a mixed approach to this end, boosting indigenous capabilities and partnering with international companies. The IDEX and NAVDEX defense fairs here saw the debuts of several unmanned surface vessels.

Among them was the WAM-V manufactured by U.S.-based company Ocean Power Technologies, which markets the platform as the pickup truck of the USV world. The commercially available vehicle, previously deployed for the U.S. Navy in Bahrain as part of Task Force 59, was shown in a 22-feet configuration.

“Its success is due to its high utility and versatility – you can deploy anything, from an underwater sonar for anti-submarine warfare or mine detection to communication nodes to an underwater or aerial drone, such as those provided by our [U.S.] partner Redcat,” Philipp Stratmann, chief executive officer of OPT, said.

The company announced last year that it was expanding its footprint in the Gulf state by partnering with local distributor Remah International Group for defense systems.

In discussing the decision to increase the company’s activities here, Stratmann pointed to the significant market interest by the UAE.

“Given also the amount of coastal water, the large number of offshore oil and gas installations, and the tense security situation, this is a great region for us to expand into –we have one vehicle actively demonstrating our capabilities, one buoy en route for a security customer, a signing of an agency agreement for Kuwait, and ongoing discussions with the UAE Forces,” Stratmann said.

Another platform showcased for the first time at the event was the UAE-made DV10 optionally-manned interceptor. The 10.2-meter vessel was jointly developed by Abu Dhabi Ship Building, Steer AI, the Technology Innovation Institute, and Edge. It can be equipped with a remote weapon station of different calibers, including 5.56mm, 7.62, or 12.7mm, and it possesses swarming capabilities.

Additional partnerships announced during the show included an agreement signed between Abu Dhabi-based Al Seer Marine and ST Engineering to foster closer cooperation on USVs.

Emirati companies have also turned to their regional allies to secure contracts. In January, Al Seer Marine announced that it signed a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Advanced Electronics Company to supply USVs for the Kingdom.

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

阿联酋阿布扎比——阿联酋军方对自主性的重视，转化为对海军资产不断增长的投资，使其成为外国水下航行器制造商越来越有吸引力的目标市场。

对无人海上系统的重视有助于弥补人力短缺和能力差距，因为这个海湾国家的海军是其规模最小的部队，现役人员约有 3000 人。

为此，阿布扎比采取了综合策略，既提升本土能力，也与国际公司开展合作。在阿布扎比举办的IDEX和NAVDEX防务展上，多款无人水面舰艇首次亮相。

其中包括美国海洋动力技术公司（Ocean Power Technologies）生产的WAM-V无人水面艇，该公司将该平台定位为无人水面艇界的皮卡。这款商用车辆此前已部署到美国海军位于巴林的第59特遣部队，此次展出的配置为22英尺长。

OPT 首席执行官 Philipp Stratmann 表示：“它的成功归功于其高实用性和多功能性——你可以部署任何东西，从用于反潜作战或水雷探测的水下声呐到通信节点，再到水下或空中无人机，例如我们（美国）合作伙伴 Redcat 提供的无人机。”

该公司去年宣布，将与当地分销商 Remah International Group 合作，在海湾国家扩大其业务版图，销售国防系统。

在讨论公司决定增加在阿联酋的业务时，斯特拉特曼指出，阿联酋市场对此表现出浓厚的兴趣。

斯特拉特曼表示：“考虑到沿海水域面积广阔、海上石油和天然气设施众多以及紧张的安全局势，这里是我们拓展业务的绝佳地区——我们有一辆车辆正在积极展示我们的能力，一个浮标正在运往一家安保客户的途中，我们与科威特签署了代理协议，并且正在与阿联酋军队进行磋商。”

此次活动首次展出的另一款平台是阿联酋制造的DV10可选载人拦截艇。这款10.2米长的艇由阿布扎比造船厂、Steer AI、技术创新研究院和Edge公司联合研发。它可配备不同口径的遥控武器站，包括5.56毫米、7.62毫米或12.7毫米口径，并具备集群作战能力。

展会期间宣布的其他合作关系包括总部位于阿布扎比的 Al Seer Marine 与 ST Engineering 签署协议，以加强在无人水面艇领域的合作。

阿联酋企业也转向与地区盟友合作以获取合同。今年1月，Al Seer Marine宣布与沙特阿拉伯先进电子公司签署协议，向沙特阿拉伯王国供应无人水面艇（USV）。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。