SIRBAI and MBDA sign MoU to integrate UAE AI into loitering munitions
SIRBAI, an Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence company specialising in autonomous coordination and swarm intelligence, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MBDA, the pan-European missile and weapons systems group, to explore integrating UAE-developed AI capabilities into MBDA's loitering munition platform. The agreement was announced at Euronaval 2026 in Paris on 3 November.
The MoU establishes a framework for technical evaluation and feasibility assessments rather than a binding development contract. Both parties said the initial phase will focus on defining technical requirements, with demonstrations planned to test whether SIRBAI's autonomy software can be incorporated into MBDA's existing loitering munition design. Any subsequent agreements remain subject to industrial approvals and relevant contractual processes.
What each party brings
SIRBAI describes its approach as software-first: its platform is designed to allow multiple autonomous systems to coordinate toward shared objectives, drawing on distributed intelligence and human-supervised autonomy. The company was built on research conducted at Abu Dhabi's Technology Innovation Institute (TII), which also handles its media relations.
MBDA brings decades of experience developing guided weapons for NATO member states and partner nations across Europe and the Middle East. Patrice Hajjar, the group's Vice President for Middle East and Africa, said SIRBAI's capabilities in automatic target detection and swarming could provide "key operational added-value for end-users." Dr Dario Albani, SIRBAI's Chief Technology Officer, framed the collaboration as a step toward bringing UAE-developed autonomy into international defence programmes.
Neither company disclosed a development budget, timeline for initial demonstrations, or the identity of the end-user nation the platform is ultimately intended to serve.
Market and regulatory context
Loitering munitions, sometimes called kamikaze drones, have attracted significant procurement interest following their high-profile use in several recent conflicts. The market has drawn a range of suppliers, from established primes to specialist startups, with particular competition around the software stack that governs target selection, formation flight, and human-machine handoff.
The regulatory landscape for autonomous weapons with AI-assisted targeting functions is unsettled. The International Committee of the Red Cross and several UN member states have pressed for a legally binding instrument on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), while major defence exporters, including the United Kingdom, France, and the United States, have resisted hard prohibitions in favour of national-level oversight frameworks. MBDA's customer base spans NATO allies and Gulf states, meaning any eventual product would need to clear export-control reviews under French and EU dual-use regulations, as well as UK and US controls if American-origin components are involved.
The UAE's growing role as a defence-technology developer, rather than a purely export-buying nation, is a notable strategic shift. SIRBAI's TII parentage places it within Abu Dhabi's state-linked technology ecosystem, which could add a layer of government-to-government dimension to any subsequent commercialisation.
What to watch
The MoU is a framework, not a programme of record, so the near-term milestone to track is whether both parties progress to a formal development agreement. Investors and industry observers will also be watching for named end-user commitments and any indication of which autonomy functions, target acquisition, coordinated swarming, or electronic resilience, will form the core of the integration work. Regulatory clearance for AI-assisted targeting in a European-branded weapon will likely be the longest lead item if the collaboration advances beyond feasibility.