Egyptian private-sector company Amstone has successfully entered into the defense industry field through the creation of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) – the first of its kind in Egypt.
Established in 2018 as a private Egyptian joint stock company, Amstone is owned by Egyptian investors and shareholders.
It works to provide local Egyptian products that are manufactured in cooperation and partnership with major international companies, according to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram.
Amstone’s USV is designated for patrol and coastal security tasks, and was manufactured locally in partnership with the Italian Leonardo Group and a Cypriot company.
It was implemented in less than four months and bears the name “B5 HYDRA.”
The payload of the USV is 600 kg, its weight is 1,500 kg, its length is 2.1 meters, and its speed reaches 85 knots.
The boat is armed with a remote-controlled 12.7 mm Browning machine gun, and is also equipped with a small drone that can be launched from the boat to carry out close reconnaissance operations.
Furthermore, the boat can be equipped with Italian Black Scorpion light torpedoes.
“B5 HYDRA” can even be used as an unmanned suicide boat by supplying the boat’s hull with explosive charges.
This weapon was displayed for the first time at the EDEX 2023 exhibition, where the company also announced the production of a drone, H12 Poseidon, in cooperation with a Cypriot company.
