EDGE delivers HT-100 uncrewed helicopters to Angola

The EDGE Group has built three BR71 MK II corvettes for the Angolan Navy and has now delivered new HT-100 uncrewed helicopters to the force. The helicopters should help Angola to police its waters more sustainably than crewed alternatives.

By Sam Cranny-Evans, editor of Calibre Defence, published on September 10, 2026.

Anavia, the Swiss company owned by the EDGE Group, has delivered six of its HT-100 uncrewed helicopters to the Angolan Navy, according to a September 10 press release. The helicopters were put through factory acceptance tests between August 24 and 28 at Anavia’s facilities in Switzerland, the press release adds.

The HT-100s will be integrated onto Angola’s BR71 Mk II corvettes, with two helicopters per corvette. They will be integrated into the combat management system used by the ships and work to extend their reconnaissance range.

Notably, the British Navy has pursued a similar type of integration with its Peregrine helicopter UAV from Thales and Schiebel, which has been added to some of its Type 23s. With a Thales radar and electro-optical suite, the Peregrine can be airborne for up to 16 hours per day, considerably easing the burden on crewed helicopters.

The HT-100 will support a similar type of reconnaissance capability, although it provides six hours of endurance. With two helicopters on board, the Angolan Navy could fly simultaneous missions or provide a more persistent presence in a region.

EDGE won the corvette contract, which is valued at €1 billion, in early 2023. The first vessel was launched at the CMN Naval shipyard in France in March this year. Abu Dhabi Ship Building contracted design and production of the first BR71 MK II to CMN, and the second will be built in Abu Dhabi, facilitating the tech and knowledge transfer. The third, however, will also be built at CMN.

Calibre comment: Uncrewed helicopters in combatting piracy

Combatting piracy, illegal fishing, and other forms of illicit activity at sea is generally a matter of persistence. It requires a navy to maintain a constant presence in an area to intercept small boats and deter the unwanted activity. However, that comes with a cost, which is heightened and complicated by using crewed helicopters to some extent. For Angola, the HT-100 theoretically offers a relatively low-cost solution to extend its observation and situational awareness. Uncrewed helicopters are also theoretically cheaper to run and maintain than a crewed alternative, which should help ensure readiness and availability.

That said, crewed helicopters can provide a valuable interception capability. The Royal Marines publicised an interception earlier this year which involved disabling the engine of a drug boat with a shot from a sniper who was positioned in a helicopter observing the craft. An uncrewed helicopter cannot obviate the need for a crewed interception, but it does help the reconnaissance aspect.

The lead image shows an HT-100 helicopter in the colours of the Angolan Navy. Credit: EDGE Group.