KIEL / ABU DHABI, 25 September 2026 — German naval shipbuilder TKMS and the UAE’s EDGE Group have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the joint development of underwater surveillance and protection capabilities. The agreement was concluded during a UAE state visit to Germany and forms part of a wider initiative between the two governments to deepen defence and security cooperation.

Miguel Ángel López Borrego, Deputy Chairman of TKMS’s Supervisory Board, and Omar Al Zaabi, President – Commercial at EDGE, signed the MoU in Munich.

The companies plan to assess an integrated approach that would bring together multiple platforms and sensor systems. Their aim is to determine how those systems could provide a more comprehensive picture of activity beneath the surface and support the detection and management of maritime threats. TKMS said its platform capabilities could be combined with EDGE’s systems expertise as the partners evaluate a potential surveillance and protection solution.

The agreement is exploratory. The companies have not announced a specific system, development timetable or procurement commitment. The work outlined in the MoU will focus on evaluating opportunities for cooperation and the capabilities needed to address underwater security requirements.

“We welcome the initiative of the German government and the UAE to strengthen cooperation in the defence and security areas,” said TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard. He described the company’s existing relationship with the UAE as a foundation for the proposed work and said TKMS remained committed to its engagement in the country.

EDGE Managing Director and CEO Hamad Al Marar said maritime security was fundamental to the UAE’s national and economic resilience. He said EDGE was working to build sovereign capability with partners whose expertise could strengthen its offering.

The proposed multi-system approach reflects the challenge of maintaining awareness across an underwater environment in which threats can vary in type and complexity. By examining how platforms and sensors could work together, the partners intend to assess whether they can deliver an effective surveillance and protection capability suited to those demands.

For TKMS, the MoU offers a route to extend its cooperation with the UAE in the underwater domain. For EDGE, it creates an opportunity to examine how its systems capabilities could be incorporated into a broader solution developed with an established naval partner. Any resulting capability would depend on the outcome of that evaluation and on subsequent decisions by the parties.

The companies presented the initiative against a backdrop of growing demand for maritime security capabilities. They cited heightened geopolitical challenges and the need to protect commercial shipping as factors driving interest in naval surveillance and defence.

No financial value was disclosed for the MoU. Further details on the scope of the proposed capability, the systems that might be involved and the next stages of cooperation have yet to be announced.