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 is 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.
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