Cutting-edge drones on display in Abu Dhabi desert

A state-of-the-art fleet of drones took to the sky for a striking demonstration of advanced technologies in the Abu Dhabi desert on Wednesday.

The live demonstration, held at Tilal Swaihan, was part of the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference being staged in the capital.

The event showcased the latest in “swarming” aerial drones and unmanned light aircraft and ground vehicles from major manufacturers.

The live show was an opportunity to see the advanced designs take flight and offered a glimpse into their potential to boost a number of sectors, from providing military assistance to use in civilian and environmental fields.

Cutting-edge crafts such as Garmoosha by UAE defence conglomerate Edge, the mini-helicopter-style Blowfish A3, and swarm drones designed for co-ordinated combat by China's Zhuhai Ziyan were among the creations on show.

Aerial inventions were not the only creations on display, however, with a firefighting robot from Abu Dhabi Civil Defence also being put through its paces.

The Blowfish A3, for example, is made by Zhuhai Ziyan and is based on a helicopter design, which means that it gives more maneuverability and more control to the operator.

"You can also see that there are four magnetic contacts located on the landing gear," said service engineer, Sikander Azam. "What it does is that if a moving vehicle or if a ship is carrying this aircraft, it can take off automatically and follow the ship or the moving vehicle. Then it can land by itself according to the command executed by the operator using the aircraft."

The Kungsorn, a drone made by UAE-based Cynax Labs, was also put through its paces. The vertical take-off and landing drone is particularly geared to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. It can operate at 4,876 metres and has a flight time of three hours.

"Our added value is that we can do facial recognition, object detection, vehicle detection, and also automatic license plate recognition," said the company's vice president, Abhijeet Darshan.

"Now for an operator who is conducting missions in the intelligence surveillance reconnaissance, this information is absolutely valuable."

The fifth annual Umex has been organised by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company in partnership with the Ministry of Defence.

The exhibition focuses on the defence, environmental, civil and humanitarian benefits of unmanned systems and is attended by regional government delegations and industry, military and civilian authorities from across the globe.

Umex drone show - in pictures