On Sep. 29, 2023, EDGE Group, a UAE defense giant, announced acquiring a 50% stake in Brazilian smart weapons systems specialist SIATT. EDGE Group strives to strengthen its presence in the Latin American market and has made several high-profile plays to establish itself in the Brazilian market. It is embarking on the development and manufacture of the next generation of high-performance and price-competitive smart weapons and solutions.
The acquisition is part of a subsequent co-development agreement signed between EDGE and the Brazilian Navy for advanced long-range anti-ship missile technology. SIATT provides the guidance, navigation, control, and telemetry systems to the MANSUP national anti-ship missile project. With this acquisition, EDGE Group aims to become a relevant market player in high-tech defense systems.
On Jun. 13, 2023, MBDA announced the inauguration of a missile engineering center in the UAE to develop smart weapons. MBDA aims to strengthen the long-term partnership between the company and the Emirates and establish a foundation for joint development of missile systems. This cooperation has the ultimate objective of offering missile systems with optimum performance while leveraging and reinforcing the sovereign capabilities of the UAE defense industry through significant local content.
On Apr.23, 2023, Colorado company Biofire introduced a smart gun that it hopes will lower the number of firearm deaths. Biofire Smart Gun's technology uses dual biometric sensors to prevent unauthorized use. This first smart gun with facial and fingerprint recognition is now for sale, and it can be pre-ordered for $1,499. The company plans to deliver it to customers next year. The concept behind BioFire's smart weapon is straightforward; it will fire normally as long as the user's fingerprint or face is stored in its memory banks.
Key Companies in the Smart Weapons Industry include
- Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Raytheon Technologies Corporation
- BAE Systems
- PLC
- The Boeing Company
- L-3 Communications Holdings Inc.
- MBDA Inc.
- General Dynamics Corporation
- Orbital ATK
- Thales Group
- Textron Inc.
- Rheinmetall Ag
