The agreement provides a framework for offering autonomy capabilities to aviation operators in the UAE in an effort to enhance operational efficiency and mission readiness
BOSTON, April 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merlin, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRLN), an aerospace and defense technology company building the operating system of record for autonomous flight, today announced an exclusive teaming agreement between its subsidiary, Merlin Labs, Inc., and Remah International Group (RIG), a privately held and UAE headquartered company with a focus on military and commercial products and services, that introduces Merlin’s autonomy capabilities to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). RIG and Merlin will serve as exclusive partners for autonomous flight systems in the UAE, aiming to identify suitable use cases and aircraft platforms for Merlin’s AI-powered autonomy stack. RIG will also play a central role in supporting implementation and long-term sustainment efforts.
The agreement comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tension and active conflict in the Middle East that is rapidly reshaping defense priorities and national security strategies. Autonomy offers a pathway to strengthen operational resilience while reducing risk to human aircrews, enabling greater flexibility and persistence across increasingly complex missions. As a trusted partner to the UAE Armed Forces for over three decades, RIG supports regional operators to ensure operational readiness and mission success. Merlin and RIG look forward to further evaluating how their complementary capabilities can jointly advance defense and security priorities across the Middle East.
“The Middle East is a critical region for the introduction of aviation autonomy, driven by its strong adoption of advanced technologies,” said Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin. “We are intentionally working with forward-leaning countries investing in the future of aviation. RIG’s support of innovation, foreign investment, and national development makes this an ideal exclusive partnership so we can together assess how autonomy can scale in the UAE and deliver meaningful operational impact across critical platforms and use cases. This collaboration enables us to align autonomy with evolving mission requirements at a time of increasing geopolitical complexity. Aviation autonomy can strengthen operational continuity while supporting those undertaking complex and high-risk missions.”
”The UAE is a leader in technological evolution and we are bullish on aerospace autonomy,” said Damian Killeen, Advisor to the Chairman of RIG. “It is essential for autonomy to be reliable and certified across both general aviation and military operations. With Merlin’s autonomy—in the process of being certified—our collaboration brings trusted autonomy to the region, enables national AI capabilities and sovereign investment, and scales it across the full breadth of aviation roles and missions.”
About Merlin
Merlin is an aerospace and defense technology company building the operating system of record for autonomous flight. Through a first-principles approach, the company is redefining what’s possible across aviation, aerospace, and defense with the goal of delivering full-stack autonomy for any aircraft, military or civilian, from takeoff to touchdown. The Merlin Pilot system powers a growing range of aircraft and mission profiles, proven through hundreds of autonomous flights from test facilities across the globe. With awarded contracts from military customers, Merlin is advancing American leadership in autonomous aviation by helping to solve national security challenges through safe, reliable autonomy. To learn more, visit www.merlinlabs.com or follow us on X @merlinaero.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding the identification of suitable use cases and aircraft platforms for Merlin’s autonomy capabilities, the anticipated benefits of the teaming agreement, expected implementation and sustainment efforts, and the potential for Merlin’s autonomy systems to enhance operational resilience and mission readiness for operators. These forward-looking statements are based primarily on Merlin’s or its management’s current expectations and projections about future events and trends, and are neither promises nor guarantees. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties, or other factors that may cause actual future results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements, including the risks discussed in our reports filed with the SEC, including Merlin’s S-1 filed with the SEC on April 15, 2026, which are available on our investor relations website at https://investors.merlinlabs.com and on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update these statements as a result of new information or future events.
Media Contacts
Kate Gundry
617-797-5174
merlin@pluckpr.com
A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9f4d432a-2589-416b-95e5-d51d03e52281
