UAE’s defense giant expands footprint in Brazil with anti-drone and missile agreements

Emirate conglomerate EDGE Group had perhaps the largest exhibit of any company at IDEX 2025. (Agnes Helou / Breaking Defense)

BEIRUT — UAE’s defense giant EDGE Group is further expanding its footprint in Latin America and specifically Brazil with new agreements to produce counter-drone systems and to advance to the next phase in an anti-ship missile project, according to the company.

Timed for the LAAD Defense & Security expo held annually in Brazil, EDGE said Thursday it and the Brazilian Navy had signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the joint development of the counter-drone system, which includes “establishing a joint working group, comprising technical experts from both parties, to advance the established partnership.”

The agreement aims to develop and deploy counter-drone systems equipped with “advanced sensors, such as radars and electro-optical technologies, combined with signal jamming capabilities to effectively neutralize threats from autonomous air and surface vehicles,” EDGE said in a statement. The firm didn’t respond to Breaking Defense’s additional questions about the LOI as of press time.

“Brazil has been focused on developing conventional air defense systems and enhancing maritime surveillance, but counter-unmanned aerial systems […] are an evolving threat vector — especially in asymmetric warfare, border control, and maritime domain awareness,” senior fellow at UAE Rabdan Security & Defence Institute (RSDI) Kristan Alexander told Breaking Defense.

He added that one of “EDGE’s key strengths is in electronic warfare (EW) and signals intelligence, areas where Brazil’s domestic capabilities are limited. EDGE’s solutions can enhance the Brazilian Navy’s situational awareness and electronic defense posture.”

Alexander noted that unlike larger defense contractors, UAE’s EDGE Group offers codeveloping and tailoring defense platforms according to “Brazil’s unique operational requirements, including jungle environments and long coastal stretches, in a way that larger Western suppliers may not prioritize.”

As for the second announcement, EDGE said it and Brazilian firm SIATT, and again the Brazilian Navy, were moving on to the next phase in the anti-ship missile MANSUP-ER development project.

According to the announcement, “EDGE Group signs strategic license agreement to acquire the intellectual property (IP) of the extended variant of the MANSUP missile, developed by SIATT.”

Partner, Rather Than Competitor

Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco, an independent researcher in Gulf security affairs, said he considered the EDGE’s expansion in Brazil as the result of a blend of strategic, economic and geopolitical considerations.

“Strategically, the UAE and Brazil share an interest in diversifying defense partnerships beyond traditional suppliers by cultivating closer ties with middle and emerging players in the global defense market,” he told Breaking Defense.

Mazzucco added that “Brazil boasts a robust military-industrial base, including well-established companies such as Embraer and SIATT, but financial constraints have often hinged on its capacity to keep its armaments ahead of times by mobilizing a constant flow of investments in R&D, thereby limiting also its defense export shares.”

He noted that for EDGE’s long-term priorities in developing sustained export revenues, “Latin America represents a relatively untapped market receptive to non-Western companies.”

Alexander said that Brazil offers a “mature but still-developing defense industry […], which makes it an ideal partner rather than a competitor.” He told Breaking Defense that as such, EDGE sees “opportunities to co-develop, co-produce, and integrate technologies in a mutually beneficial way, particularly in unmanned systems, electronic warfare, and smart weapons.”

Additionally, Brazil “is a natural gateway for EDGE into Latin America due to its economic and military weight. Success in Brazil could pave the way for further expansion in Argentina, Colombia, and other regional markets,” Alexander concluded.

EDGE an Emirati conglomerate of more than 25 defense firms, has been expanding in Latin America‘s defense industry for since 2023. The firm’s first international office was established in Brazil.

In a February interview, EDGE CEO Hamad Al Marar told Breaking Defense that the company’s “plan is to continuously grow. Our plan is to grow internationally. Our plan is to see how we can establish alliances with countries outside the UAE.”