Egypt presents USV-AIO-001 unmanned vessel with Eagle-2 weapon station at EDEX 2025.

Egypt unveiled the USV-AIO-001 with the Eagle 2 remote weapon station at EDEX 2025, marking a new step in its unmanned naval development.

At EDEX 2025, Egypt’s Arab International Optronics (AIO) introduced the USV-AIO-001, an unmanned surface vessel equipped with the Eagle-2 remote weapon station produced locally with the Spanish company Escribano, highlighting a 70 percent local content level in the displayed configuration. The USV-AIO-001 was presented as a new Egyptian unmanned naval asset combining a domestically integrated hull with a stabilized combat system for coastal missions, capable of surveillance and force protection with reduced crew exposure.
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Based on Escribano's Guardian, the Eagle-2 turret on the USV-AIO-001 is a lightweight, two-axis gyro-stabilized remote weapon station designed for naval craft and capable of functioning at sea state 3 in all climatic conditions. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The Eagle-2 turret on the USV-AIO-001 is a lightweight, two-axis gyro-stabilized remote weapon station designed for naval craft and capable of functioning at sea state 3 in all climatic conditions. It supports 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, and 12.7 mm as the standard naval caliber, and 14.5 mm, allowing different mission configurations depending on operational requirements. The system weighs 185 kg without weapon and ammunition, which enables installation on small boats and unmanned vessels. Its electro-optical suite includes an uncooled thermal camera with dual field of view and a day sight camera with 30x continuous optical zoom, supported by an eye-safe class I laser rangefinder with a 3.5 km maximum range. The software interface is described as seamless and easy to use for accurate control, and an embedded simulator supports training without live firing. The Eagle-2 is characterized as the naval version derived from the Eagle-1 turret.

Arab International Optronics is a joint venture formed in 1982 between Thales, holding 49 percent, and Egypt’s National Service Products Organisation, and has expanded from optronics to full weapon stations. Earlier, the company introduced the X29 RCWS for static defense roles, designed without stabilization and with an ammunition box on the left, a centrally mounted machine gun, and an optronic package beneath the weapon. It supports 12.7×99 mm M2HB or KPVT 14.5×114 mm weapons and uses a 640×480 uncooled microbolometer thermal sensor operating in the 8 to 12 micrometer band, with tank detection at 7.5 km and identification at 1.3 km. Its day camera uses a 1945×1225 CMOS detector with a 6 to 210 mm zoom lens, allowing tank detection up to 20 km at a narrow field and human recognition at 40 m. A 6 km laser rangefinder, automatic recording, video tracking, and a bullet counter are included, and the system weighs 160 kg without weapon or ammunition. The Egyptian Ministry of Defence received a Zero Batch in preparation for full production.

AIO also developed the Eagle-1 in cooperation with Escribano, based on the Guardian turret, forming the basis for the naval Eagle-2 displayed on the USV-AIO-001. Eagle-1 can mount 12.7 mm or KPVT weapons and optionally MG4, MG3, or a 40 mm Mk19, with smoke launchers and STANAG Level 2 protection available. It features a two-axis stabilization under 1 milliradian, with the ammunition box on the left and the sensor suite on the right, using thermal fields of view of 9.0 degrees by 6.75 degrees and 4 degrees by 3 degrees. Detection ranges include 6.9 km for vehicles and 4 km for humans, with identification at 3.2 km and 1.4 km respectively, and its day camera achieves up to 7.5 km vehicle detection. A laser rangefinder reaches 20 km, and the gunner station uses a 12 inch screen with an embedded simulator. AIO produces around 30 percent of its value and aims for 70 percent, with plans for 400 Eagle-1 units in two phases. Eagle-1 was seen on an Egyptian Sherpa, while Eagle-2 appeared on a mock up boat.

The USV-AIO-001 appears within an expanding Egyptian unmanned surface ecosystem that includes projects from public and private entities. The private firm Amstone previously produced the B5 HYDRA with Leonardo and a Cypriot partner, a high speed patrol USV with a payload of 600 kg, total weight of 1,500 kg, length of 2.1 m, and maximum speed of 85 knots. It can carry a 12.7 mm remote gun, launch a small drone for reconnaissance, and integrate Black Scorpion light torpedoes or serve as an explosive boat. The HORUS-USV survey craft, a fiberglass catamaran measuring 1.4 m by 1.3 m with a 0.35 m draft and 150 kg payload, also demonstrated hydrographic survey capability with differential GNSS, a 50 to 200 kHz echo sounder, dual thrusters, microcontrollers, sensors, and modular instrumentation, meeting IHO S 44 standards with ±0.15 m uncertainty at 4.08 m depth.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.