This follows OPT’s appointment of RIG as its distributor for defense and security solutions in the UAE in late 2024. RIG, through its locally owned group of 48 companies, partners with industry-leading solution providers globally like Red Cat and SAAB to ensure the highest levels of service and products are supplied to the UAE. OPT and RIG will offer live demonstrations during NAVDEX of OPT’s WAM-V® unmanned surface vehicle (USV), equipped with underwater sensors and capable of aerial drone integration, and exhibit its other capabilities, including the Next Generation PowerBuoy® and the AI capable Merrows™. OPT and RIG will be at berth MB15 and at stand A027 during the event in Abu Dhabi.
OPT believes that demonstrating its commercially available solutions in partnership with RIG’s leading position in the UAE should drive the rapid acceleration of the adoption of autonomous ocean security services in the region. RIG’s long history as one of the first companies to serve the UAE Armed Forces, its reputation for excellence and knowledge of the local industry, coupled with its key footprint in the UAE, should enable turnkey services to be carried out more efficiently.
Dr. Philipp Stratmann, OPT’s CEO, expressed his enthusiasm about this partnership, stating, “We are very excited to demonstrate our capabilities to current and potential customers during NAVDEX. This is one of the world’s most renowned exhibitions for the naval defense and maritime security sector. Having recently exhibited our capabilities during ADIPED for commercial customers, we are honored and energized to have RIG join us in our efforts to further penetrate Middle East markets. We look forward to advancing several opportunities in the UAE and the broader Middle East markets and we applaud RIG’s forward thinking in adopting autonomous, resident, persistent, and AI-capable ocean security technologies, to address the needs and requirements of the UAE Armed Forces with drone and swarming capabilities across multiple domains, including maritime missions.”
