EDGE, the UAE defense group, said on October 26, 2026 that it had completed the acquisition of a controlling stake in CMD, an Italian maker of piston engines, according to EDGE’s release, carried by Airframer, and CMD’s own release, datelined Rome. CMD said the closing followed “the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.” The Defense Post and Quwa reported the completion on October 28 and 29.

Stake and price

  • Reuters reported on May 14, when the agreement was signed at CMD’s plant in Atella, Basilicata, that EDGE would acquire an 80% stake. EDGE’s releases at signing and at completion say only “a controlling stake.”
  • CMD said that the cousins Mariano and Giorgio Negri, descendants of the founders, “will retain a significant ownership share.” EDGE said the current shareholders keep a significant minority stake and key management roles.
  • No price was disclosed. Reuters reported in May that EDGE would fund the deal from its own resources.

What EDGE says comes next

EDGE said: “Engines for EDGE’s unmanned aerial systems are an immediate priority, with discussions on large-volume orders under way.” CMD’s release said advanced negotiations on significant orders “could materialize by the end of the year.” Neither named the drones, quantities or values. EDGE also said it is exploring marine uses with Abu Dhabi Ship Building, will keep supporting CMD’s automotive partners and “will invest heavily” in CMD, without giving an amount.

Since completion, CMD has signed three memoranda of understanding in Paris, according to EDGE releases carried by EDR Magazine: with Abu Dhabi Ship Building on engines for its vessels (November 4); with Dronamics, a cargo-drone company backed by an EDGE fund, on propulsion for its Black Swan aircraft (November 4); and with UFORCE on marine engines for unmanned surface vessels, including a possible joint venture (November 5).

About CMD

  • Founded in 1989 by the Negri family (EDGE, CMD).
  • Four production plants in Atella, in the province of Potenza, and research and administrative offices in San Nicola La Strada, near Caserta; more than 220 employees (CMD).
  • 2025 turnover of about €40 million, up from €38.5 million in 2024 (CMD). Startmag put 2024 production value at €49 million, a different measure.
  • Its divisions include aviation diesel engines, marine engines and energy (CMD website).
  • In January 2026, CMD said it had bought back the 67% stake that China’s Loncin Motor had held since 2017, returning to full Italian ownership. In April, it said it had “to date” not sold aircraft engines to Ukrainian defense.

What was said

Hamad Al Marar, EDGE’s managing director and CEO: “Completing this acquisition takes us from agreement to delivery in building a highly capable European propulsion hub that complements and reinforces our global industrial footprint.” Mariano Negri, CMD’s CEO: “This partnership marks a significant milestone for our region, our facilities and, above all, our people.”

EDGE said the deal reflects the model of EDGE Europe, the company it launched in Paris in June 2026.

Sources and notes

Sources: EDGE release via Airframer, October 26, 2026; CMD, October 26; CMD, January 2026; CMD, April 18 (Italian); EDGE release via EDR Magazine, May 14; Reuters via MarketScreener, May 14; Breaking Defense, May 14; Startmag, May 15; The Defense Post, October 28; Quwa, October 29; EDR Magazine on the ADSB, Dronamics and UFORCE memoranda, November 5 and 6. Notes: the 80% figure appears only in reports of the May signing; no completion report gives a percentage. No Italian government decision on the deal was found. Which drones the engine orders are for has not been disclosed. Thumbnail photo: a four-cylinder piston aircraft engine on display at AERO Friedrichshafen in 2018, by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped. Illustrative stand-in: the engine is not a CMD product.

Image: Matti Blume (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.