Dubai Airshow 2021: Tawazun and Yahsat launch indigenous SATCOM manufacturing JV

16th November 2021 - 16:00 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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Tawazun Economic Council and Yahsat announced a SATCOM JV during the Dubai Airshow 2021. (Photo: Tawazun/Yahsat)

How will a new JV help the UAE to develop a self-sustaining SATCOM sector?

Efforts in the UAE to create a self-sufficient military SATCOM industry took a step forward on 16 November during the Dubai Airshow 2021, when the Tawazun Economic Council and the Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) launched their Star Technologies JV.

This follows an MoU between Tawazun and Yahsat in February 2021, and the formal incorporation of Star Technologies is expected to occur no later than Q1 2022.

The initiative underscores a ‘commitment to building a robust indigenous defence industry ecosystem’, with domestically generated intellectual property that aligns with the UAE government’s economic diversification programme, the two companies announced in a joint statement.

Star Technologies will specialise in the engineering, design and in-country manufacturing of customised hardware and software, including advanced satellite modems, small form factor antennas, and tracking solutions.

Initially, Star Technologies will produce a branded IP satellite modem system to complement Yahsat’s existing SATCOM capabilities.

In the long term, the JV aims to create value via a combination of R&D and acquisition and generation of new intellectual property, forming the core of a self-sustaining SATCOM industry in the UAE.

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