UAE Orders Brazilian Anti-Ship Missiles
The United Arab Emirates has signed a letter of intent to purchase the Brazilian-made National Surface Anti-Ship Missile (MANSUP) and its extended-range version.
The 1.2-billion UAE dirham ($327 million) deal was signed at the Dubai Airshow 2023 on Wednesday, following the unveiling of the MANSUP-Extended Range by Edge Group.
The Brazilian Navy procured the missiles for 600 million UAE dirhams ($163.36 million) on Tuesday.
National Surface Anti-Ship Missile
A quartet of Brazilian firms — Avibras, Mectron, Atech, and Omnisys — developed the missile to replace the Brazilian Navy’s Exocet MM40 Block 1.
In September, Edge Group joined the project with the acquisition of a 50 percent stake in SIATT, formerly Mectron.
The Brazilian Navy has conducted five test launches of the missile.
MANSUP Extended-Range
The extended-range missile can strike targets 200 kilometers (120 miles) away, more than twice the initial variant at 70 kilometers (43 miles).
It features adaptive sea-skimming capabilities, inertial guidance, and active radar homing.
The missile’s land and air-launched versions will also be developed, EDGE said, adding that the firm is in advanced talks with potential customers.
“The success of the MANSUP program is now being demonstrated by the commitments being placed by customers, now including the UAE and Brazilian Armed Forces,” EDGE Group CEO Mansour AlMulla said.
