![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1129126737.jpg.jpg\")
\u201cThe UAE has seven emirates with seven overlapping border security structures, and the problem is that each of them has individual … forces and individual border controls over foreigners. The emirates that really have the most efficient systems are Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Fujairah,\u201d said Anthony Cordesman, the emeritus chair in strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor instance, the new border security body that is established in Dubai has its own conglomeration or separate structures for Dubai. … I think people say the system works fairly well, but nobody does a perfect job,\u201d he told Defense News. \u201cAbu Dhabi is stricter about extremists or hard-liners \u2014 even just people who are politically aligned with Islamic parties \u2014 than Dubai is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local efforts<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
The UAE\u2019s military inventory is mostly made up of modern imported equipment. According to the CIA, since 2010, the country has purchased materiel from more than 20 countries, with the U.S. as its leading supplier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But in alignment with Vision 2030, a UAE government effort to domestically produce 50 percent of its defense needs, the country launched a program dubbed \u201cEmiratization\u201d (locally known as \u201cTawteen\u201d). The program mandates including Emirati nationals for local jobs, particularly in the private sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Emirati defense conglomerate Edge is a critical part of this initiative. The business is working on in-house designs and domestic production of systems meant to protect sensitive areas near land and coastal borders as well as sovereign airspace. Specifically, its subsidiary SIGN4L made the anti-drone NavControl system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNavControl-G is a [global navigation satellite system, or] GNSS, spoofing system that is designed to safeguard borders and protected areas from UAVs. The system emits counterfeit GNSS signals that mimic legitimate ones in order to generate an alternative path and safely mitigate the threat of hostile drones,\u201d Waleid Al Mesmari, vice president of program management for Edge\u2019s electronic warfare and intelligence business, told Defense News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said the first prototype was launched at the IDEX defense conference earlier this year, and that SIGN4L continues to test the product. NavControl-G is used as part of a larger system that includes radars and electro-optical\/infrared sensors to detect, classify, identify and track hostile UAVs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are aiming to extend our product portfolio in this area and are working on an advanced solution based on satellite data to enable situational awareness and thus contribute to further securing national borders,\u201d Al Mesmari said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another Edge subsidiary, Abu Dhabi Ship Building, is also contributing to border security through locally made naval systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe company had recently reinforced its design capabilities and developed a range of fast patrol boats entirely designed and built in the UAE,\u201d said Faris Al Maqtari, director of business development at the shipbuilder. \u201c160 ITEP, a 16-meter inshore tactical and engagement platform, was built to meet the specific requirements of the coast guard forces, who play an integral role in border security,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fitted with two diesel engines, the patrol boat offers a range of 350 nautical miles and speeds up to 50 knots. Available armaments range from a manually operated 12.7mm machine gun to a 30mm automatic cannon installed on a remote weapon station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al Maqtari told Defense News more designs and prototypes are in the pipeline for completion this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, Edge subsidiary Halcon, which specializes in guided munitions, is working on two major projects: a counter-rocket missile and an anti-ship missile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The SkyKnight can counter rockets, artillery and mortars, according to Halcon chief executive Saeed Al Mansoori, and is the first entirely locally made weapon capable of such feats. He told Defense News the system can also provide early warning signals and precise surface-to-air intercept capabilities at a range of up to 10 kilometers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Halcon announced in February it partnered with German defense firm Rheinmetall to integrate the SkyKnight with the latter\u2019s Oerlikon Skynex air defense system. The combined technology provides a multi-sensor unit featuring active electronically scanned multimission radars, several 35mm revolver guns, and the SkyKnight missiles and launchers, each of which has a capacity of 60 missiles. The weapon can simultaneously intercept numerous multidirectional targets, providing protection for static assets as well as mobile forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Halcon also developed the HAS-250 anti-ship surface-to-surface missile, which can travel at speeds up to Mach 0.8 and has a range exceeding 250 kilometers, Al Mansoori said. During its terminal phase, the weapon can fly toward its target at a sea-skimming altitude of below 5 meters, he added. The HAS-250 uses GNSS and an inertial navigation system for targeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But these products must still undergo interoperability testing before they can be deployed, noted Theodore Karasik, a senior adviser at the U.S.-based geopolitical consultancy Gulf State Analytics. The country historically depends on foreign vendors to provide border protection systems, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Edge systems are highly advanced and are capable of providing the type of C4ISR over the country as seen fit,\u201d he said. \u201cVarious systems from Edge are beginning to appear, reflecting the group stepping forward with advanced solutions in a crowded market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, Cordesman noted, \u201cit is one thing to talk about these systems and another thing to actually deploy them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUntil a system is actually deployed, a lot of this is only talk about architecture that doesn\u2019t exist,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also concerning, Cordesman explained, is neighboring Iran\u2019s steady advancements in missile technology alongside the UAE\u2019s lack of an integrated missile defense or layered air defense system. The Emirates have \u201ceffective surface-to-air missiles and some anti-missile capabilities,\u201d but the country needs to buy precision-guided missiles, cybersecurity technology and space-based early warning systems, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe U.S. can provide the UAE with warning about launch through its satellites, and it can give them a rough vector and under some circumstances it can give a rough idea of the character of the missile,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Washington would rather see regional allies \u2014 specifically members of the Gulf Cooperation Council \u2014 create an interoperable system by sharing concepts, technologies and experience among each other and with the help of the U.S. and Israel, Cordesman noted. A number of Arab nations improved their diplomatic relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords, signed in September 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is a feeling that the worst way to approach this is for each Gulf country to buy its own toys,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The United Arab Emirates has created a new border security organization to improve coordination between its seven emirates and their array of capabilities, which the country hopes to bolster with locally made systems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":52038,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":47,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,11,47,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3436],"class_list":["post-24261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-global","category-mideast-africa","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"VU2FW6CDP5HTTAA5NVP4CZ6II4","arc_canonical_url":"\/global\/mideast-africa\/2021\/11\/08\/uae-pursues-better-border-security-collaboration-more-domestic-capabilities\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IDEX-2021.jpg.jpg\")
Deployment potential<\/h1>\n\n\n\n