UAE state-backed defense company EDGE Group has released footage on X, unveiling a new low-cost, jet-powered kamikaze drone, the latest signal that the hyperdevelopment of drone warfare is accelerating.

EDGE Group unveiled the Shadow 25, a jet-powered loitering munition described as a rapid-strike system designed to deliver precision attacks against fixed targets.

Shadow 25 can reach speeds in excess of 650 mph, about 5.42 times faster than the Iranian Shahed-136 drone. It has a range of 155 miles, which EDGE says offers "new opportunities to swiftly neutralize stationary enemy targets."

EDGE is one of the UAE's top national defense companies, developing, manufacturing, and supporting military and security products and services, including autonomous systems, missiles, naval platforms, electronic warfare, and radar systems.

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EDGE has also been expanding its industrial footprint and international partnerships. In 2025, it said it operated more than 170 manufacturing and assembly facilities across the UAE.

Our takeaway is that after four years of hyperdevelopment in drone warfare across Ukraine, the US-Iran conflict now appears poised to unleash an evolutionary leap in drone warfare. The next phase is likely to be defined by fast strike drones and more advanced AI-enabled targeting, further compressing the kill chain and deepening battlefield automation. Across Eurasia, war is spreading, from Ukraine to the Gulf.