Jeniah fighter UCAV project

[tyrin]

At the International Defence Exhibition and Conference IDEX (IDEX 23) exposition in Abu Dhabi (UAE), the Abu Dhabi Defense and Space Manufacturing company (ADASI) unveiled a model of the Jeniah (جنيه، fairy) Unmanned Combat Aerial System (UCAS).

The Jeniah project is the result of three years of research and development efforts. In a few years it has become clear that the interest of the company in unmanned air systems and precision units has been high and recently won many export contracts. There are rumors that the company has benefited from the experience of many South African engineers after the collapse of their companies.

The Jeniah is designed to guarantee covert characteristics, with the possibility of working individually or in different formations to perform different tasks, such as attack, exploration and ground support deep within enemy defenses. According to the company, the aim of the project emphasizes the rapid changes on the future battlefield and the need for anti -access/area denial (or A2/AD) systems to control access to and within an operational environment.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1635943922563416065

View: https://twitter.com/_edgegroup/status/1635943922563416065?s=46&t=5r9RJyVDLFgx5QtHzpKD8w



The CEO of Edge expects it to be “ready” in around four years and it will have multiple versions of it developed. It will have air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities.



It seems the focus is on fuel and range rather than payload but with the advent of small PGMs with high accuracy is a high payload necessary

 

[tyrin]

The CEO of EDGE group talks more about it at about the 5 minute mark, but to summarize it will have multiple versions, be stealthy, and be able to function in both air-to-air and air-to-ground modes.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVz2FgBtXHg

 

[GTX]

It's easy to make a mockup but another to see real hardware. I will await the latter.

 

[tyrin]

It's easy to make a mockup but another to see real hardware. I will await the latter.

He talks about similar statements made toward the company in the video I attached.

The main bottleneck in these projects internationally is funding, and when they have billions of dollars to put into these programs that is no longer a real problem. Expertise is easy to find, when you can pay them double or triple what they're making at Embraer or Denel.

 

[GTX]

again, I will await real hardware. We have seen other announcements before from this region - for instance that below from 2017 which has yet to produce anything:

Russia's Rostec to co-develop 5th-gen fighter with UAE

Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Russia defense heavyweight Rostec, spoke to Defense News about the deal, as well as hopes to expand cooperation with the United States under the Trump administration.

www.defensenews.com

 

[tyrin]

again, I will await real hardware. We have seen other announcements before from this region - for instance that below from 2017 which has yet to produce anything:

Russia's Rostec to co-develop 5th-gen fighter with UAE

Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Russia defense heavyweight Rostec, spoke to Defense News about the deal, as well as hopes to expand cooperation with the United States under the Trump administration.

www.defensenews.com

That's a bit different but yeah lets wait and see you're 100% right. It should be about 2027 according to the CEO, so I'll try to update this thread when news comes out.

"AlMulla expects the drone to be ready in four years but said that EDGE is looking at ways to accelerate the development and production phase, including investing in foreign firms to bring new technology for the design"

 

[tyrin]

again, I will await real hardware. We have seen other announcements before from this region - for instance that below from 2017 which has yet to produce anything:

Russia's Rostec to co-develop 5th-gen fighter with UAE

Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Russia defense heavyweight Rostec, spoke to Defense News about the deal, as well as hopes to expand cooperation with the United States under the Trump administration.

www.defensenews.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1768542081637617853

View: https://x.com/_edgegroup/status/1768542081637617853?s=46


Scaled flight test above

Under development with help from Brazilian firm Akaer which helped developed Hurjet and other projects

Loadout from videos animated released seems to be a pair of MK82 based Thunder P32 JDAM type munitions

 

[tyrin]

 

[tyrin]

UAE intends to also produce the engine for the Jeniah eventually through its engine design house Powertech

https://powertech-engines.com/

They want to eventually produce engines with up to 35000lbf of thrust and don’t completely rule out developing a fighter jet.

 

[Geo]

UAE intends to also produce the engine for the Jeniah eventually through its engine design house Powertech

https://powertech-engines.com/

They want to eventually produce engines with up to 35000lbf of thrust and don’t completely rule out developing a fighter jet.

Is this information somewhere on their website?

 

[tyrin]

Is this information somewhere on their website?

sorry no it’s from an article by AviationWeek

Edge Group Sets Its Sights On Engines And Satellite Markets | Aviation Week Network

The United Arab Emirates’ principal defense company is eyeing partnerships to realize its engine and space ambitions.

aviationweek.com

The United Arab Emirates is throttling up efforts to expand its defense industrial portfolio with the launch of the Powertech business, which aims to develop and field domestically produced engines to power everything from homegrown missiles to uncrewed combat aircraft.

Setting up Powertech is the latest twist in Edge Group’s five-year effort to become a major defense equipment supplier through acquisitions, partnerships and local efforts. About a year ago, the company realized that without controlling its fate on engines, it would never achieve the ultimate goal of self-reliance.

• “This is not an easy journey,” Edge executive says
• SAR satellite constellation could launch in 2026

“For us, propulsion systems—from piston engines to microjets to medium-size jets to large turbofan, turbojet propulsion systems—are our destiny,” Khaled Al Zaabi, Edge’s president of platforms and systems, told Aviation Week at the IDEX defense show, held here Feb. 17-21. “Because unless we control that or work with partners that enable us to be able to design and develop them, we will never really be taken seriously in terms of delivering our own capabilities.”

The push also represents perhaps the most challenging hurdle the company is tackling, given problems other countries have faced in trying to establish autonomous propulsion capabilities. “We’re going into this with very wide eyes, wide open,” Al Zaabi said. “We know this is not an easy journey.”


Edge wants to be in the full value chain, from single-crystal turbine blades to high-pressure turbine disks and fan blades. While Powertech aims to cover a broad thrust range—up to around 35,000 lb.—it does not intend to take on leading aircraft engine-makers, such as GE Aerospace or Rolls-Royce.

Edge Chairman Faisal Al Bannai says Powertech was established after the company recognized during the first few years of building products and expanding sales that critical components still were missing.

The company may pursue different paths to introduce other product types and is not ruling out acquisitions. “Some propulsion systems we may choose to fully develop in-house because we can,” Al Zaabi said. “Some propulsion systems might not make sense for us to fully develop in-house, either from a capability point of view or from an economical point of view.”

 

[tyrin]

Is this information somewhere on their website?

And the reference for possible fighter development

I’m sure a joint GCC development with Saudi, the Emirates, and Qatar would have the funds even if using many components from other countries.

IDEX 2025 - EDGE dominates the Abu Dhabi exhibition and looks at further expanding its footprint - EDR Magazine

Interview by EDR On-Line during IDEX 2025 of EDGE CEO, Hamad Al Marar. The group doubled the size of its stand compared to two years ago!

www.edrmagazine.eu

We have many other priorities to look into before actually tapping into fighters.” Hamad Al Marar confirmed.

 

[tyrin]

Adasi and TII in the UAE have signed an agreement to use “stealth coating” radar absorbent material developed by TII in their air vehicles

VentureOne Partners with EDGE Group and Calidus to Advance Technology Solutions for National Defense | VENTUREONE

Three Abu Dhabi defense entities will adopt VentureOne solutions to enhance UAE national defense through agreements signed at IDEX 2025Abu Dhabi-UAE: 26 February, 2025 – Three leading Abu Dhabi defense technology entities have announced partnerships with VentureOne, the commercialization arm of...

www.ventureone.ae

VentureOne’s Stealth Coating is a high-performance radar-absorbing material (RAM) available in multiple forms, offering broadband electromagnetic absorption, lightweight properties, and durability. It enhances stealth for naval and aerial platforms by minimizing radar detection.










With it’s shaping, and this coating it should allow it to operate much like the F-117 and deliver its payload of two MK82s over targets