IDEX 2025: EDGE reveals HT-750 heavylift rotary-wing UAV
Robert Czulda
Emirati defence conglomerate EDGE Group unveiled a 1:1 scale model of its HT-750 rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the first time at the IDEX 2025 defence exhibition, held in Abu Dhabi from 17-21 February.
The HT-750 was designed by Anavia: a Swiss unmanned helicopter specialist based near Zurich that produces over 100 aircraft annually. Anavia is now owned by EDGE, which acquired a 52% majority stake in the company in November 2023.
The HT-750 can remain airborne for up to 15 hours with a 50 kg payload and has a maximum speed of 222 km/h and an operational ceiling of 4,000 m.
The lightweight, carbon-structured HT-750 is capable of performing a variety of missions typically conducted by conventional helicopters, including transport and reconnaissance. The manufacturer also lists several potential tasks, such as aerial infrastructure inspection, traffic surveillance, crime and narcotics-smuggling investigation, border and coastal patrol, fire prevention, as well as combating illegal fishing and poaching.
The maximum payload of the HT-750 is 750 kg. It features a traditional four-blade semi-rigid main rotor and tail rotor and is equipped with custom-built avionics. The helicopter can be fitted with a variety of sensors, such as cameras and lidar, all of which can be easily integrated using a plug-and-play system.
The HT-750 offers both manual-assisted and fully autonomous flight modes, with a datalink range of 200 km. It uses GPS/inertial navigation and is equipped with a fully autonomous landing system. The HT-750 can operate in temperatures ranging from -25°C to 55°C and can withstand wind speeds up to 45 km/h.
It is also worth noting that in January 2024 EDGE secured a contract to supply the UAE Ministry of Defence with 200 HT-100 and HT-750 unmanned helicopters. The HT-100, which was also designed by Anavia, has a maximum flight endurance of six hours/600 km, a maximum speed of 120 km/h, a maximum payload capacity of 65 kg and an operating ceiling of 4,000 m.
