New multi-billion-euro joint venture in naval sector emerges
UAE-based defense and technology group EDGE Group and French naval shipbuilding specialist CMN Naval have formally agreed to create a new Abu Dhabi-based shipbuilding joint venture (JV) named AD NAVAL (ADN).
As disclosed, EDGE, which will hold 51% of the new company, will work with CMN NAVAL on sales, commercial activities, and engineering. The company will also set up a design bureau to manage intellectual property for future vessel designs.
The partners plan to work on small to mid-size naval vessels, including corvettes, offshore patrol vehicles (OPVs), high-speed interceptors, trimarans, and landing craft. This agreement leverages an existing order pipeline worth about €7 billion and is said to strengthen EDGE’s capabilities in the naval sector.
Furthermore, T=the JV will grant EDGE access to CMN NAVAL’s global supply chain and its advanced integrated logistics support (ILS) system and software. The scope of the JV will also explore combat systems integration (CSI) of EDGE’s autonomous air and sea, and smart weapons solutions onto vessels built by the new company.
Hamad Al Marar, EDGE’s CEO, emphasized that this collaboration aligns with their strategy to grow through international partnerships.
“The scope of our collaboration with CMN, which is particularly strong in EDGE’s key focus markets in Africa, for example, will enable us to combine our expertise, and to share technology and know-how in the naval domain to build superior vessels in the UAE. Furthermore, it will enable us to develop cross-complementary integration programmes for our autonomous air and sea systems, smart weapons, radar, and cyber solutions, onto the vessels being manufactured for non-NATO navies around the world,” he added.
“We are proud to join forces with EDGE Group in this strategic collaboration, which reflects our shared commitment to innovation, excellence, and the advancement of naval capabilities. By leveraging our deep expertise in shipbuilding and EDGE’s cutting-edge defence technologies, we will deliver next-generation naval solutions tailored to the evolving needs of global maritime forces,” Pierre Balmer, Chairman of CMN NAVAL, added.
The announcement comes on the heels of an initial partnership agreement signed at IDEX 2025 last month in Abu Dhabi, where both parties laid the foundations for collaboration across multiple domains.
These encompass the development of new naval platforms, system integration, maintenance, and commercial initiatives, naval innovation, leveraging next-generation technologies such as AI-driven autonomous systems, advanced combat solutions, and modular ship designs.
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