EDGE Group has partnered with Germany’s SFC Energy on tactical power systems through its subsidiary Al Fahad Electrical Systems, adding fuel cell power to its UAE production base. In the same week, EDGE’s ammunition entity LAHAB completed the first dynamic test firing of a UAE-designed 155 mm Extended Range Full Bore (ERFB) artillery round.
Both announcements came as EDGE exhibits at the Special Operations Forces Exhibition and Conference (SOFEX) 2026 in Aqaba, Jordan, from 27 to 29 October. The two companies announced the fuel cell partnership on 27 October, the opening day of the show.
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The SFC Energy agreement covers the SFC JENNY and SFC EMILY tactical fuel cells, EFOY hybrid power systems and SFC LAPS-R power supply platforms. The products will be customized for high-energy uses, including directed-energy laser applications, alongside conventional tactical power needs.
The partnership includes local integration, validation and manufacturing in the UAE, with Al Fahad Electrical Systems, led by Chief Executive Officer Yousuf Al Antali, acting as EDGE’s executing entity.
LAHAB, EDGE’s medium- to large-calibre ammunition manufacturer, fired the 155 mm ERFB round from a 52-calibre barrel, with all rounds landing in the target area. EDGE says the rounds followed their predicted trajectories with consistent grouping and tight dispersion, and that it designed and produced the round in-house with a deep intrusion fuze well.
The trial checked compatibility with weapons built to the Joint Ballistics Memorandum of Understanding (JBMOU), along with chamber pressures, impact points and projectile integrity. Saif Al Dahbashi, EDGE’s President for Missiles and Weapons, said the firing “confirms that chamber pressures, projectile performance, and component integrity all met our expectations”.
Al Dahbashi also described artillery ammunition as a test of national self-supply, saying UAE production means customers avoid waiting in another country’s production queue. EDGE said the firing met all of its stated objectives, opening the next phase of trials for the round.
Arena testing to measure the projectile’s effectiveness comes next, followed by qualification to Military Standard (MIL-STD) requirements and NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4224. The round falls under HAZEEM, EDGE’s sovereign artillery ammunition program aimed at building an entirely UAE-made range of artillery munitions.
At SOFEX, EDGE is presenting multi-domain autonomous capabilities at stand H201 in the UAE Pavilion. The group says more than 80% of its products are made in the UAE, across more than 35 entities organized in seven clusters. The Aqaba show follows EDGE’s appearance at the Marrakech Air Show from 7 to 10 October, where it exhibited surveillance, counter-drone, navigation-protection, loitering munition and guided weapon offerings.
Harry Dawson, EDGE’s Director of International Business for the Middle East and Africa, spoke for the group on its return to the Aqaba show. King Abdullah II officially opened SOFEX 2026 at its venue in Aqaba on Jordan’s Red Sea coast. This year’s edition of the exhibition drew 38 countries and 350 companies.
For the 155 mm round, qualification is the next major step towards demonstrating its safety and suitability for service, building on the arena testing that follows the first firing.
