United States high technology arms company will design and produce AI powered drones in the United Arab Emirates through a new joint venture, the two organisations announced on Thursday, 13 November 2025. The project aims to strengthen the long standing defence partnership between the two countries.
America based Anduril and the UAE’s state owned defence group EDGE will jointly develop the Omen drone at a new research centre in Abu Dhabi. The centre will cover fifty thousand square feet or four thousand six hundred and forty five square metres, according to the statement.
Officials said the UAE will acquire the first fifty units. A publicity image showed the drone with the insignia of the UAE air force.
The Omen drone is lightweight and suitable for long distance missions. It can take off and land like a helicopter and fly like an aircraft. This allows it to be deployed from war zones and disaster areas with greater flexibility.
During a media call, Anduril senior vice president Shane Arnott said, “This is… about disrupting current maritime patrol, special mission aircraft, much bigger systems. That is what we are going after.”
The statement said the Omen drone is expected to be the first of many products developed through this partnership. It added that the joint venture builds on decades of defence cooperation between the United States and the UAE.
During President Donald Trump’s visit to Abu Dhabi in May, both countries announced plans for a new defence partnership that would include “joint capability development”.
The UAE, often referred to as Little Sparta by former United States Defense Secretary James Mattis, has sent its military to conflicts in Afghanistan, Libya, and Yemen. The country hosts the United States air force at the Al Dhafra base and set up EDGE in 2019 to build its domestic defence industry.
EDGE is investing nearly two hundred million dollars in the Omen project. Anduril has already invested eight hundred and fifty million dollars in related technologies.
The drone, which can carry payloads such as torpedoes, is expected to enter production by the end of 2028.
As part of the agreement, EDGE will gain access to Anduril’s Lattice AI system. This system allows multiple autonomous aircraft to coordinate and adapt in real time, working as a three dimensional command and control centre.
Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, who created the Oculus virtual reality headsets, is a campaign donor to Trump. Luckey is also close to billionaire Peter Thiel, co founder of the software firm Palantir. Palantir recently announced an AI joint venture with Dubai Holding.
Anduril also has United States government contracts that include deploying hundreds of autonomous surveillance towers along the United States Mexico border to form a virtual barrier.
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