EDGE Group Delivers Six Anavia HT-100 Naval Unmanned Helicopters to Angola – News and Statistics

Sep 10, 2026

EDGE Group, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, has confirmed that Factory Acceptance Trials for six Anavia HT-100 Naval unmanned helicopters have concluded successfully, with the aircraft handed over to the Angolan Navy. The delivery falls under a naval programme worth EUR1 billion, or $1.2 billion, that also covers three corvettes.

The trials were held last month at Anavia’s site in Bilten, Switzerland. A high-level delegation from the Angolan Navy attended, along with representatives of Simportex, the Angolan public enterprise responsible for supplying, acquiring and importing equipment, material and services in support of the country’s defence and security sector.

All six HT-100 Naval systems underwent their first operational flying tests during the successful trials, a development described as a significant milestone for the programme.

Once the Factory Acceptance Trials were finished, the six systems were delivered to the Angolan Navy. This marks an important step toward integrating them with the BR71 MK II corvettes and delivering an enhanced maritime surveillance and reconnaissance capability.

Khaled Al Zaabi, President of Platforms & Systems at EDGE Group, called the completion of the trials an important milestone in providing this advanced capability to the Angolan Navy. He said close collaboration across EDGE, ADSB and ANAVIA is combining naval platforms with unmanned systems to produce an integrated solution matched to Angola’s operational requirements.

The six HT-100 Naval unmanned helicopters are to be integrated onto three BR71 MK II Combattante corvettes that EDGE’s naval arm, Abu Dhabi Ship Building, is delivering to the Angolan Navy. Each vessel will receive two HT-100 Naval systems, fully integrated with the corvettes’ combat management systems. Fitted with electro-optical/infrared sensors, the systems are intended to extend the vessels’ surveillance and reconnaissance reach and provide an integrated unmanned capability for maritime operations.

Ishan Sahgal, co-CEO and Founder of Anavia, said the milestone shows the company can deliver a complete, fully autonomous system for shipborne operations, closely tailored to the customer’s operational requirements. He added that close co-operation with the Angolan Navy, EDGE and industry partners demonstrates innovative capabilities and further strengthens international confidence in the company’s products.

Now that all six HT-100 Naval systems have been delivered, the programme will advance to integrating them onboard the BR71 MK II platforms. Sea trials of the integrated capability on the vessels in Angola will follow, moving the programme closer to operational service with the Angolan Navy.

The BR71 MK II programme is part of a EUR1 billion contract signed between EDGE and the Angolan Navy for three 71-m multi-mission corvettes.

The first-of-class vessel, NRA Ekuikui II, was launched in Cherbourg, France. The second corvette is being built by ADSB in Abu Dhabi, and the third by CMN Naval in Cherbourg. The programme represents a significant international naval engagement for EDGE and supports the Angolan Navy’s ongoing modernisation and maritime security requirements.