UAE, Israel to jointly develop new Unmanned Surface Vessel

Defense manufacturers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel will collaborate to develop an unmanned surface vessel for anti-submarine warfare.

During the Dubai Airshow 2021, Emirati defense conglomerate EDGE and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced a new partnership to design and produce the “170 M” advanced modular unmanned surface vessel for both military and commercial use.

The “170 M” will be equipped with advanced sensors, sonar, and imaging systems. It will be designed to operate remotely, semi-autonomously, or autonomously for various missions, including submarine detection, surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance. It could also be modified for oil and gas exploration.

IAI will be responsible for developing an autonomous control system for the vessel, while the Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company will design and integrate all control systems and payloads.