The Emirati Navy, which is 2,500 strong, requires sea drones, eyes, and a “USV Pickup” that are optional.
The United Arab Emirates military is currently focused on developing the robotic component of its Navy, primarily in order to “plug manpower shortages and capability gaps,” Defense News reports. The outlet notes that the naval branch of UAE forces comprises “roughly 3,000” personnel, while a 2024 estimate by The Military Balance study counts 2,500 people in active service, a comparatively modest number.
That is why today, the UAE has become a promising market for many manufacturers of marine robotic platforms worldwide. This became particularly evident from the defense exhibitions IDEX and NAVDEX held in Abu Dhabi in February 2025, where multiple unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) were presented for the first time.
One is the DV10 optionally manned interceptor (meaning it can be operated on-board or remotely). It was developed domestically in cooperation between CMN Naval, Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB), Steer AI, Technology Innovation Institute, and EDGE Group. Disclosing some of this drone’s advantages, ADSB pointed out integrated advanced autonomy technologies and the capability of “navigating complex environments with unmatched precision and speed.”
Publicly known specifications include a hull length of 10.2 m and a weight of under 3 tons. Its travel speed can reach 90 knots (~160 km/h). The modular architecture is compatible with various remote-controlled weapon stations with 5.56mm, 7.62mm, and 12.7mm caliber weapons.
Another platform first presented in the UAE was the WAM-V from American manufacturer Ocean Power Technologies. It is marketed as “the pickup truck of the USV world.” The company CEO, Philipp Stratmann, emphasized that the drone offers high utility and versatility, the spectrum of WAM-V applications ranges from detecting submarines or mines to sustaining communication with forward underwater or aerial drones.
The unmanned vessel comes in three versions: the ultra-portable WAM-V 8, as well as larger WAM-V 16 and WAM-V 22, numbers matching their length in feet. The largest 22-foot (6.7-meter) product was displayed at exhibitions in Abu Dhabi.
On a note from Defense Express, the UAE Navy has shown an increasing interest in unmanned technologies in recent years. In early 2023, Emirati defense giant EDGE Group bought a controlling stake in the Estonian robotics manufacturer Milrem Robotics, and later the government placed an order for dozens of robotic complexes from this company. The same amount of attention is being dedicated to unmanned aerial vehicles.
