Spanish defence company EM&E Group, headquartered in Madrid, used the first Africa International Defence Exhibition (AFRIDEX), held at Eko Atlantic in Lagos from 26 to 29 October 2026, to strengthen its international outreach towards key players in Africa’s defence sector, showing mortar carrier, counter-drone and remote weapon station technologies aimed at African armed forces.
Backed by experience in engineering and precision mechanical manufacturing since 1989, EM&E Group, whose initials stand for Escribano Mechanical and Engineering, specialises in the design, development and manufacture of advanced defence and security systems.
“We regard Afridex 2026 as an opportunity to foster dialogue within the context of evolving operational needs and the growing importance of technological innovation,” the company said.
The company is not new to the continent. Military Africa reported in 2021 that EM&E had signed an agreement to supply remote weapon stations to the Egyptian Army ahead of the Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX). AFRIDEX gave it a platform in West Africa, where Nigeria, the host nation, has been seeking partners for local production and technology transfer.
EMOC mortar carriers built for shoot-and-scoot
EM&E combines proprietary technology with a focus on reliability, operational effectiveness, and adaptation to different platforms and mission requirements, it said. Its EMOC 120 mm and 81 mm mortar carrier systems combine high mobility with heavy firepower and, according to the company, reflect its aim to develop technologies that respond to current challenges in the defence arena.
The system is designed to provide indirect fire capability from high-mobility vehicles, facilitating ‘shoot-and-scoot’ tactics. It can be deployed in less than 20 seconds for the 120 mm version and 15 seconds for the 81 mm version, an important advantage in reducing exposure time to potential threats such as counter-battery fire and surveillance drones.
It incorporates an advanced recoil management system that enables stable firing from the very first moment and is compatible with EM&E Group’s smart ammunition, which has a circular error probable (CEP) of 10 metres. According to the company, the system’s open architecture facilitates integration into various land platforms.
When the 120 mm EMOC was unveiled at IDEX 2023 in Abu Dhabi, EM&E said it could be fitted to any light vehicle able to carry a 500 kg payload plus ammunition without additional reinforcement, with a range of up to 8.8 km using EM-120 ammunition, a burst rate of 10 rounds per minute and a sustained rate of four rounds per minute. It is designed for a crew of two but can be operated by one person. In May 2026 the company announced a modernised version with the faster deployment time and compatibility with its smart mortar munitions.
Vehicle-mounted mortars of this kind suit the light, wheeled forces that many African armies field against insurgent groups across the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin and the Horn of Africa, where units need organic indirect fire that can move quickly over long distances. South African industry has followed a similar path with mortar-armed variants of armoured vehicles such as the Paramount Marauder mortar carrier exported to Singapore.
The ODIN counter-drone family
“Another of our strategic areas is the fight against hostile drones, for which we offer the ODIN family C-UAS (counter-unmanned aircraft systems),” EM&E Group stated.
Its new ODIN 6×6 anti-drone system was presented at Eurosatory, the international land and air-land defence exhibition held in Paris from 15 to 19 June 2026. According to EDR Magazine, the system integrates four radars for three-dimensional detection, an electronic warfare jammer, two optically guided interceptor drones, a GUARDIAN 2.0 PRO remote weapon station armed with a 30 mm M230LF cannon and a launcher for laser-guided micro-missiles, all on the FEROX armoured vehicle.
The ODIN anti-drone solution integrates different technologies to address the full threat cycle, from detection and identification to neutralisation. Thanks to the different configurations available, it can be tailored to specific customer needs.
According to the company, the ODIN-I multi-sensor and multi-factor system can be mounted on a military support vehicle or a towed platform for easy deployment in the field. It serves as protection against short-range ground, air and maritime threats, with what the company describes as proven high operational precision.
The ODIN-L, integrated into a mobile station, combines sensors, effectors, and a command and control system, allowing it to be rapidly deployed and adapted to various operational scenarios. This C-UAS system is capable of protecting both fixed and temporary facilities, as well as troops deployed in operational zones, through configurations ranging from highly mobile solutions to permanent or temporary rapid-deployment installations.
Counter-drone capability is in growing demand across Africa as armed groups adopt commercial and improvised drones. Nigerian forces have faced drone attacks from jihadist factions in the north-east, the Nigerian Air Force has begun specialised counter-UAS training, and local firms such as Babasky have developed their own counter-drone systems. More of Military Africa’s coverage is gathered under the counter-UAV tag.
Remote weapon stations for land and sea
At AFRIDEX 2026, EM&E Group also showed some of its remote weapon stations for land and naval platforms. With a modular design that allows both day and night operations, these systems reduce the direct exposure of operators while improving situational awareness and response capability, according to the company. The company has announced that it will supply 47 naval weapon stations to the Portuguese Navy through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), and it has already supplied land weapon stations to the Egyptian Army.
EM&E’s bid for long-term African partnerships
“All of these capabilities reflect EM&E Group’s commitment to engineering, technological development, and the adaptation of solutions to the requirements of different operational environments,” the company affirmed. “With our presence here at Afridex 2026, we continue to advance our internationalisation strategy and reaffirm our interest in driving long-term relationships to collaborate with others in the defence and security spheres.”
EM&E was one of a number of European firms in Lagos, alongside an Italian delegation that strengthened defence engagement with Nigeria, while Turkey’s HAVELSAN signed a technology cooperation agreement with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) at the same show. Whether EM&E’s outreach turns into African orders will depend on how far it is willing to match its competitors on local assembly and support, the terms African buyers increasingly expect.