US defense tech firm Anduril and UAE-based EDGE Group have launched a new joint venture to manufacture tail-sitting vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones with a hybrid-electric propulsion system dubbed Omen.
The partnership, announced in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Dubai Airshow, is designed to accelerate the development and production of advanced unmanned platforms for military and civilian applications and will see the creation of a dedicated facility in the UAE to handle manufacturing, sales, and long-term support for global projects.
Orders for the first 50 platforms have already been signed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“Defense innovation is measured not by ideas, but by the pace at which those ideas translate into capability. With EDGE, we’re aligning the means of production with the urgency of modern deterrence,” said Trae Stephens, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Anduril.
While Anduril and Edge, the Abu Dhabi-based defense conglomerate, haven’t released any weight specifications, in the press release, Anduril said that the platform is in the Group 3 category-drones that can fly at altitudes between 3,500-18,000 feet. According to a report in Defense News, Anduril has been working on Omen since 2019, but had run into issues surrounding motor options.
Built for diverse missions
Omen is intended to deliver the endurance and payload capacity of larger systems in a more compact and flexible design. Powered by Anduril’s Lattice for Mission Autonomy software, multiple aircraft will coordinate flight paths, share sensor data, and adapt behavior in real time, enabling new missions that bring the capabilities of much larger systems to smaller, more expeditionary units.
The platform will support missions ranging from maritime surveillance and logistics resupply to air defense sensing and communications relay. Its lightweight, foldable frame will allow a two-person team to transport, assemble, and launch the aircraft in minutes without specialized infrastructure. Its open, modular architecture will enable reconfiguration for diverse missions across defense and civilian or commercial domains.
Omen can also serve as an airborne cell tower to restore connectivity after natural disasters, support humanitarian relief, or deliver critical supplies to remote areas where there is no ground access.
Middle East footprint
For Anduril, the joint venture creates a trusted production base in the Middle East, allowing systems conceived in California and built in Ohio to be designed, adapted, and manufactured in Abu Dhabi for regional customers.
“Our strategic partnership with Anduril opens new pathways for EDGE to harness some of the most advanced autonomous systems engineering in the world,” said H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, Chairman of EDGE Group. “Embedding that capability in the UAE fundamentally accelerates how we innovate, build, and field next-generation systems. Omen exemplifies this transformation, combining deep autonomy, operational intelligence, and local production to reinforce the UAE’s position at the forefront of autonomous air capability.”