As part of the 15th iteration of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) held bi-annually in Abu Dhabi, Milkor UAE has been showcasing its complete range of capabilities, along with some new locally developed systems.
Milkor UAE was established three years ago and is dedicated to supporting local industry while promoting local development of new defence and naval systems. Milkor UAE CEO Julian Coetzee said his focus is on using the existing technologies developed by the Milkor group to support local entities in the region, while continuing to develop new technologies.
“We have been participating at IDEX and NAVDEX for the past few years now and I would say that this year’s event is definitely one of the biggest I have seen. This year for us has been extremely important to showcase our local capabilities. Since we’ve started in 2020, we have opened up three manufacturing facilities for various products. We have been very fortunate to receive a lot of industry support both from the ministry of defence and other local entities,” Coetzee said.
At both IDEX and NAVDEX (Naval Defence Exhibition and Conference) Milkor has displayed its complete range of systems during the 20-24 February event in Abu Dhabi. Dominating the company’s stand is the Milkor UCAV, a medium-altitude, long endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with an endurance of up to 30 hours and a payload capacity of 210 kg. At IDEX it was fitted with UAE-manufactured Desert Sting-25 guided munitions.
Since the previous edition of IDEX, Milkor has been hard at work developing a completely locally developed and manufactured surveillance and reconnaissance vessel, the Milkor IPC (Inshore Patrol Craft), and this was on display at NAVDEX. Capable of up to five days endurance and a top speed of up to 50 knots, this vessel is capable of high-speed interception and continued surveillance operations, Milkor said.
“We have several products on display, both at IDEX and NAVDEX. We have decided to showcase all of our products in real form, which include the Milkor UCAV, the Milkor 4X4 as well as our weapon systems. The newest iteration of the Milkor UAE patrol vessel, the Milkor IPC, has been completely designed, developed and manufactured in Abu Dhabi and we are very proud to be able to display our capabilities to the delegations and visitors at this event. This year’s event has been extremely successful, and we are looking forward to the next iteration of this event,” Coetzee said.
Milkor has continued to increase its global presence with offices in UAE, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. The company will be showcasing its technologies at the Live Firing Show in Poland, during April 2023, and Defence and Security Expo in Thailand, during November of this year.
