"confirms that chamber pressures, projectile performance, and component integrity all met our expectations."
EDGE and SFC Energy sign tactical fuel-cell partnership
On 27 October, the opening day of SOFEX 2026 in Aqaba, Jordan, EDGE Group announced a partnership with Germany’s SFC Energy to add fuel-cell tactical power systems to EDGE’s UAE production base. The agreement covers the SFC JENNY and SFC EMILY tactical fuel cells, EFOY hybrid power systems and SFC LAPS‑R power supply platforms.
EDGE said the products will be customized for high‑energy uses, including directed‑energy laser applications, alongside conventional tactical power needs. Local integration, validation and manufacturing in the UAE are part of the deal, with Al Fahad Electrical Systems — led by Chief Executive Officer Yousuf Al Antali — acting as EDGE’s executing entity.
LAHAB conducts first dynamic firing of UAE‑designed 155 mm ERFB round
Also on display at SOFEX, EDGE’s ammunition arm LAHAB completed a first dynamic test firing of a UAE‑designed 155 mm Extended Range Full Bore (ERFB) artillery round. EDGE reported the rounds were fired from a 52‑calibre barrel and that all rounds "landed in the target area."
EDGE said the projectiles followed their predicted trajectories with "consistent grouping and tight dispersion" and that the company designed and produced the round in‑house with a deep intrusion fuze well. The dynamic trial checked compatibility with weapons built to the Joint Ballistics Memorandum of Understanding (JBMOU), measured chamber pressures, impact points and projectile integrity.
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See what we buildHAZEEM program, next test phases and standards path
The 155 mm ERFB round is part of HAZEEM, EDGE’s sovereign artillery ammunition program aimed at building an entirely UAE‑made range of artillery munitions. EDGE described the firing as meeting all of its stated objectives and opening the next phase of trials.
Arena testing to measure the projectile’s effectiveness is scheduled to follow the dynamic firing. EDGE said qualification to Military Standard (MIL‑STD) requirements and NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4224 will come after arena testing as the next major steps toward demonstrating the round’s safety and suitability for service.
EDGE’s presence at SOFEX 2026 and recent displays
EDGE exhibited at SOFEX 2026 from 27 to 29 October at the Aqaba venue on Jordan’s Red Sea coast. The group presented multi‑domain autonomous capabilities at stand H201 in the UAE Pavilion and described that more than 80% of its products are made in the UAE across more than 35 entities organized in seven clusters.
The Aqaba appearance followed EDGE’s participation at the Marrakech Air Show from 7 to 10 October, where the group displayed surveillance, counter‑drone, navigation‑protection, loitering munition and guided weapon offerings. Harry Dawson, EDGE’s Director of International Business for the Middle East and Africa, spoke for the group on its return to the Aqaba show. King Abdullah II officially opened SOFEX 2026, which drew 38 countries and 350 companies to the event.
What this means for technologists, procurement leaders, and standards authorities
- Technologists and directed‑energy program managers: The SFC product set — SFC JENNY, SFC EMILY, EFOY hybrid systems and SFC LAPS‑R — will be adapted for high‑energy demands, including directed‑energy laser applications. Local integration and validation in the UAE position operational teams to evaluate fuel‑cell endurance and power density in theater‑relevant configurations.
- Procurement leaders and military customers: EDGE framed UAE production as a way for customers to avoid "waiting in another country’s production queue," suggesting locally produced tactical power and artillery rounds could change supply timelines for buyers who value sovereign supply chains.
- Standards and qualification authorities: The LAHAB firing checked JBMOU compatibility and measured chamber pressures and projectile integrity; the program’s stated pathway — arena testing, then MIL‑STD and NATO STANAG 4224 qualification — signals a conventional, standards‑driven route to serviceability and interoperability testing.
EDGE’s announcements at SOFEX 2026 placed two parallel technical tracks on public display: new sovereign production of artillery munitions under HAZEEM and an industrial partnership to bring fuel‑cell power systems into UAE manufacturing. The 155 mm ERFB firing passed initial dynamic checks and moves into arena effectiveness trials and formal qualification; the fuel‑cell agreement commits to local integration for high‑energy tactical uses. Observers will now watch the arena tests, the MIL‑STD/STANAG qualification process, and how quickly integrated fuel‑cell systems move from validation to fielded support for energy‑hungry platforms such as directed‑energy systems.
