Egypt signs deal with China to co-produce Hamza-2 armed drone at EDEX 2025.

Egypt announced new agreements at EDEX 2025 to co-produce the Hamza-2 armed drone with China’s Norinco, expand aviation and defense manufacturing partnerships with UAE firms, and increase local production capacity across AOI facilities.

On December 1, 2025, Egypt’s Arab Organization for Industrialization signed co-production and manufacturing agreements at EDEX 2025 covering the Hamza-2 armed drone (with China's Norinco), aviation maintenance activities, and new industrial investments with Chinese and Emirati partners. The arrangements aim to expand domestic UAV assembly, increase technology transfer, and strengthen long-term aerospace and defense production capacity.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

The Hamza-2 is reportedly based on the Chinese Aisheng ASN-209, a medium altitude, medium endurance tactical drone that Egypt has assembled for more than a decade. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Egypt's state-owned company, Arab Organization for Industrialization (AIO), had signed several new agreements at EDEX 2025 in New Cairo, including one to co-produce the Hamza-2 armed drone with China’s Norinco, and several to expand aviation and defense manufacturing partnerships with firms from the United Arab Emirates and the UAE Chinese company Al Qalaa Red Flag. These agreements involve local production of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the Chinese ASN-209 reconnaissance drone, increased technology transfer, and new manufacturing, maintenance, and logistics activities across AOI facilities. The signings took place on the opening day of the exhibition and were presented as part of Egypt’s broader plan to increase domestic industrial capacity across air, engine, and maintenance sectors.

The understanding between AOI’s Aircraft Factory and Norinco establishes a joint production framework for the Hamza-2 drone, which was displayed during the ceremony as a scale model equipped with guided weapons on underwing hardpoints. AOI Chairperson Major General Mokhtar Abdel Latif stated that the agreement aligns with AOI’s goal of developing long-term industrial cooperation with international partners and raising the level of locally produced components. Norinco, which is one of China’s major defense manufacturers, described the arrangement as an expansion of ongoing work with AOI. The cooperation focuses on assembling airframe components in Egypt, integrating mission systems, and establishing a production line capable of supporting sustained output for national needs and possible future exports.

The Hamza-2 is reportedly based on the Chinese ASN-209 tactical drone that Egypt has assembled for more than a decade. The ASN-209 is a medium altitude, medium endurance system designed for aerial reconnaissance, battlefield surveillance, target location, damage assessment, and artillery fire correction under day and night conditions. The complete system consists of a drone, an avionics suite, mission payloads, a data link, a ground control station, support systems, and launch and recovery equipment. Egyptian production has included assembly in AOI aerospace factories with an emphasis on increasing the share of local manufacturing. The Hamza-2 is described as advancing this line by incorporating guided weapons to permit reconnaissance and strike functions in a single platform, although quantities and production timelines have not been publicly defined.

The Aisheng ASN-209 uses a twin-boom pusher configuration with compact dimensions suited for land-based deployment. The airframe measures about 4.27 m in length, 7.5 m in wingspan, and roughly 1.54 m in height, with a maximum take-off weight of approximately 320 kg and a mission payload capacity near 50 kg. Performance data indicates a maximum speed of around 180 km/h, a cruise speed near 140 km/h, a radius of action of roughly 200 km, and an endurance of about 10 hours, with a service ceiling close to 5,000 m. The digital flight control and navigation system supports manual, programmed, and emergency modes intended to maintain stable flight in extended missions. Two drones can be rotated to maintain continuous coverage over designated areas.

The ASN-209 supports a range of payloads, such as electro-optical sensors, infrared cameras, synthetic aperture radar, ground-moving target indication, electronic intelligence, electronic warfare, ground target designation, and communication relay modules. The drone uses a rocket-assisted launch method and parachute recovery, allowing deployment without conventional runways and making it compatible with truck-mounted support equipment that reduces infrastructure demands. The ground control station and maintenance equipment are typically housed in vehicle-based shelters to support mobility. A naval variant, known as Silver Eagle, exists within the ASN-209 family, showing the adaptability of the design for maritime operations. Egypt’s shift to the armed Hamza-2 configuration places the platform within a broader trend toward equipping medium endurance UAVs with strike capabilities alongside surveillance functions.

Alongside the UAV agreement with Norinco, AOI signed seven additional agreements with the UAE’s Abu Dhabi Aviation Group that cover manufacturing, maintenance, logistics, marketing, and technical support across civilian and military aviation activities. These agreements involve AOI’s Aircraft, Engine, and Helwan factories working with Abu Dhabi Aviation subsidiaries such as Maximus Air, Global Aerospace Logistics, and the Advanced Military Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Centre. Each arrangement requires AOI to meet strict technical and quality standards requested by the Emirati side. AOI also signed an agreement with the UAE Chinese company Al Qalaa Red Flag to explore investment in new production lines intended to expand defense industrial output, promote technology localization, and support export opportunities in Arab and African markets. These agreements build on an already existing cooperation framework between AOI and its Emirati partners.

The signings took place during EDEX 2025 in New Cairo, an exhibition attended by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and more than 450 companies from over 100 countries, which underscores the scale of international participation. Within the same setting, AOI expanded its cooperation with France’s Dassault Aviation, including discussions on the local manufacturing of Rafale fighter jet components as part of Egypt’s broader aerospace industrial ambitions. The industrial partnerships announced at EDEX 2025 also align with wider regional trends, such as the planned production of SpyX loitering munitions in Benslimane, Morocco, which indicates growing interest across North Africa in establishing domestic production lines for unmanned and precision-guided systems. For Egypt, co-producing Hamza-2, expanding aviation maintenance cooperation with UAE firms, and exploring new production lines through Al Qalaa Red Flag collectively signal an effort to strengthen industrial resilience and create a more diversified defense manufacturing base capable of supporting long-term national requirements and selective export programs.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.