UAE's Edge joins Brazilian anti-ship missile project

The third MANSUP test launch was carried out in July 2019. (Marinha do Brasil)

The Brazilian Navy and the United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) Edge Group signed an agreement on 14 June to co-operate on the development of a “family of anti-ship missiles”, the navy announced two days later.

Brazilian Navy Chief Fleet Admiral José Augusto Vieira da Cunha de Menezes said Edge would help form a sustainable business model for the sale and production of the National Surface Anti-Ship Missile (MANSUP).

“This memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Edge Group paves the way for a new phase that aims at the industrial-scale production of this missile, guaranteeing important technological sovereignty for our navy,” Fleet Adm Cunha was quoted as saying.

Edge released a statement on 20 June describing the MOU as a “strategic partnership and co-operation agreement for the development of state-of-the-art long-range anti-ship missiles”.

“The agreement will see Edge become a strategic partner of the Brazilian Navy by co-investing in long-range anti-ship missile development, as well as providing advanced solutions, such as anti-jamming technology, which is developed by Edge in the UAE,” it said.

The MANSUP project to develop an entirely Brazilian replacement for the navy's Exocet MM40 Block 1 missiles is already at an advanced stage, with an initial batch in production and a fifth test firing carried out in April with a new guidance computer and altimeter.

The missile's guidance system has been developed by SIATT, its rocket motor by Avibras, and its radar seeker by Omnisys.

Brazilian magazine Veja