EDGE has launched NRA Nimi-ya-Lukeni (F301), the second BR71 MK II multi-mission corvette for the Angolan Navy, at the Abu Dhabi shipyard of its naval shipbuilding entity, Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB).
The launch ceremony took place on October 29, 2026. The 71-meter vessel is the first of its class to be built in the UAE, constructed by ADSB following a transfer of technology.
ADSB is delivering the vessels under a €1 billion contract signed in 2023. The first-of-class vessel, NRA Ekuikui II (F300), was designed and built by CMN Naval and launched in Cherbourg, France, in March 2026.
ADSB has also delivered 12-meter and 16-meter high-speed interceptors as part of the program.
Each corvette will carry two HT-100 NAVAL vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned helicopters from ANAVIA, the Switzerland-based EDGE entity, integrated with the vessel’s combat management system. All six systems have been delivered following factory acceptance trials at ANAVIA’s facilities in Bilten, Switzerland, in August 2026. The program brings naval platforms and unmanned systems from across EDGE together in one integrated solution, it was highlighted.
“Building the second corvette in Abu Dhabi is what genuine technology transfer should deliver. ADSB has applied that knowledge in its own shipyard, and corvettes for this programme have now been launched in both France and the UAE. This milestone is a credit to the engineers, production teams, technicians and industry partners behind it, and to the trust our Angolan customer has placed in ADSB," Khaled Al Zaabi, President – Platforms & Systems, EDGE, and Chairman, ADSB, said.