Qatari Barzan unveils aerial drones, unmanned surface vessels at Milipol 2026

BEIRUT — As Qatar steps up efforts to expand its domestic defense industry, the state-owned company Barzan Holdings unveiled more than a dozen defense platforms at the Milipol 2026 exhibition in Doha this week.

The new systems include first-person-view (FPV) drones, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aerial vehicles, unmanned surface vessels and electronic warfare platforms.

“This is a significant achievement, particularly as we continue to expand Qatar’s domestic defence and security capabilities in a year where we have had to rise to a number of regional challenges,” the company said in a statement.

According to information provided by the firm, Barzan displayed several FPV and VTOL drones for the first time, including:

• FPV Drone-15 inch: A tactical reconnaissance quadcopter with a payload capacity of up to 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds), a range of 20 kilometers and an endurance of up to 20 minutes.
• FPV Drone-10 inch: A tactical reconnaissance quadcopter capable of carrying up to 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds), with a range of 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) and an endurance of 12 minutes at full payload.
• FPV Drone-7 inch: A rapid-deployment quadcopter capable carrying 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds), with a range of 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) and an endurance of up to 15 minutes.
• H Silent ISR Quadcopter: A multirotor drone equipped with an electro-optical and infra red gimbal. It features an endurance of up to 40 minutes and a datalink range of 40 kilometers (24.8 miles), and is designed for surveillance, border security and critical infrastructure protection.
• ISR VTOL-400: A vertical take-off and landing UAV with a 4 kilogram (8.8 pounds) payload capacity, datalink range of 40 kilometers (24.8 miles), maximum operating altitude of 10,000 feet and speed of 110 kilometers per hour (68.3 miles per hour).

Barzan also unveiled two unmanned surface vessels during the exhibition. The first, the Rasid USV, is an unmanned jet ski-style watercraft capable of performing surveillance missions. The second, the Barzan Conversion Solution, is a coast guard vessel that can operate either manned or unmanned.

In the communications sector, Barzan introduced Secure Comms VPN and Secure Comms CHAT, designed to support secure communications and protect users’ privacy, according to the statement.

The new systems underscore the country’s push to grow its defense industry under the “Made in Qatar” initiative, as Doha faces growing pressure to strengthen its ability to protect critical infrastructure and counter aerial threats following Iranian missile and drone attacks. Like other Gulf states, Qatar was targeted by Iranian missiles and drones, and it was the only Gulf state struck by an Israeli raid in September 2025.

During the Milipol exhibition, Barzan also announced a joint venture with Ukrainian company Carmine Sky to develop a layered “Full-­Cycle Air Defence” capability, aimed at meeting sovereign and national security requirements and protecting critical assets, according to Barzan.

The joint venture will allow Doha to leverage Ukraine’s expertise to deliver an integrated, layered air defense architecture that combines detection, identification and neutralization capabilities, Barzan said. The system is expected to counter a range of unmanned aerial vehicles — from FPV drones to jet-powered UAVs — and incorporate radar, radio-frequency sensors, electronic warfare systems and hard-kill platforms.