EPI, the cornerstone of precision engineering in the UAE’s aerospace, oil & gas, and defence industries, today announced they have been contracted to produce prototype aluminium and assembly parts to the Coyote® programme for Raytheon, an RTX business. The announcement was made during the ongoing Dubai Airshow, taking place until 17 November at Dubai World Central. As part of the first contract awarded to EPI by Raytheon, EPI will supply prototype quantities of machined aluminium and assembly parts for the Coyote® Counter-UAS interceptor, including manufacturing, complex machining, special processes and surface treatments, quality assurance, and sub-assembly of the parts and their materials.
“We’re thrilled to team up with EPI on our Coyote localisation programme. This partnership aligns with our ‘Make it in the Emirates’ commitment, bolstering UAE’s industrial sector. We believe EPI’s precision manufacturing will be pivotal to both our Coyote work, as well as the UAE’s goal to strengthen key industrial sectors,” said Fahad Al Mheiri, MD of Raytheon Emirates.
Michael Deshaies, EPI CEO, said: “We are very proud to be collaborating with Raytheon, as our bespoke manufacturing services are uniquely equipped to supplement their international supply network. This contract also represents a significant step in our goals to expand our machining portfolio, localise national manufacturing capabilities, and increase the threshold for ‘Made in the UAE’ exported parts.”
The Raytheon Coyote is a small, expendable, unmanned aircraft system built by the Raytheon Company, with the capability of operating in autonomous swarms. It is launched from a sonobuoy canister with the wings deploying in early flight phase. The system can operate up to one hour and is designed for interchangeable payloads. The U.S. Army developed the Coyote with a counter unmanned air system (C-UAS) capability to intercept other small UAVs. The Coyote Anti-UAS is 24 in (600 mm) long with a 58.0 in (1,473 mm) wingspan and is launched from a pneumatic box launcher with a maximum speed of 81 mph (130 km/h). It weighs 13 lb (5.9 kg) and delivers a kinetic effect by crashing into enemy drones or exploding near them and dispersing blast fragments from its 4 lb (1.8 kg) warhead.
The agreement supports the ‘Make it in the Emirates’ initiative, a comprehensive plan for developing the UAE’s industrial sector and enhancing its role in stimulating the national economy. It follows a Memorandum of Understanding with Raytheon Emirates announced during the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) of this year. EPI manufactures high-quality complex engineering components for the defence, aerospace, and oil & gas (O&G) sectors and is equipped with advanced capabilities and cutting tools to carry out manufacturing engineering, machining, surface treatment, coating, repairing, and assemblies. The company is part of the Platforms & Systems cluster within EDGE, one of the world’s leading advanced technology groups.
