Halcon is working on developing all their propulsion technology independently
EDR On-Line understood that EDGE has already started developing its own solution. “A turbojet engine has already been designed, it has been tested on the bench, and I hope we will be demonstrating it in a year’s time. It has been an exciting and interesting development,” Hamad Al Marar announced. “The facilities are under construction and within the next two years we will have a complete independence in propulsion.”
This will not be the case for internal combustion engines; here EDGE is cooperating with a local engine manufacturer, which designed a propulsor capable to replace the one currently used on the 600 kg MTOW REACH-S
Guidance kits are the same used in the DS series, the SAL multipixel sensor being designed in-house, its production being currently outsourced. HALCON is however planning the construction of a clean room, which will allow to bring in-house also the seeker production.
The GNSS assisted INS version is in production at a pace of 27 per shift
With the current production layout HALCON is capable to produce 50 DS-16 per shift; it is to note that all printed circuit boards (PCB) are produced in house, the same being true for most of the mechanical components which also receive their surface treatment in the HALCON premises. All harness is also produced at the factory, which also has full test capabilities. Only 5% of the mechanical component are outsourced, coming from EPI, another EDGE entity also based at TIP, the only operation totally outsourced being the explosive filling, which is the responsibility of LAHAB, the ammunition producer among EDGE entities. The DS-16 is in full production, an order for 7,000 units having been bagged, half of which in the SAL variant.