Munitions

Desert Sting 16

Also known as
  • DS-16
  • Desert Sting DS-16
  • Desert Sting
  • Desert Sting (DS-16)

Desert Sting 16 is a UAE-developed air-platform-released precision-guided glide munition from Halcon, part of EDGE Group's smart-weapons portfolio. EDGE lists the DS-16 as a 23 kg munition with a 12 kg warhead, GAINS guidance, a semi-active laser seeker, and a dual-rack option for piloted or remotely piloted aircraft; open reporting ties the munition to Bayraktar TB2 integration and Calidus B-250LA display loadouts.

Desert Sting 16, Guided glide munition, Munitions
Image source: EDGE Desert Sting 16 product page
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United Arab Emirates
Built by
Halcon
Type
Guided glide munition
Service note
2010s-present
Designer
Halcon

Specifications

Weight
23 kg
Warhead
12 kg
Guidance
GAINS (GNSS-assisted INS) with semi-active laser seeker
Accuracy
3 m CEP in SAL mode; 10 m CEP with GAINS only
Range
Up to 15 km at 220 KCAS from 30,000 ft AMSL
Detonator
Impact / height of burst
Dual-rack carriage
Two DS-16 weapons on the DS-16 Dual Rack
Aircraft-store interface
MIL-STD-8591 and MIL-STD-1760 listed for the DS-16 Dual Rack
Variants

Desert Sting designations separate lightweight guided-glide weapons by munition size and warhead class; this DS-16 page covers the 23 kg member.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Desert Sting (DS-8)Smaller Desert Sting family member

EDGE's 2019 HALCON contract announcement described DS-8 and DS-16 as Desert Sting variants differentiated by weight and warhead size.

Sources: HALCON Desert Sting contract

Desert Sting (DS-25)Larger Desert Sting family member

EDGE presents DS-25 as a larger Desert Sting guided-glide weapon with a 47 kg gross weight, 24 kg pre-fragmented warhead, and more than 24 km maximum range.

Sources: EDGE Desert Sting 25 product page

Carrier Aircraft

Open sources tie DS-16 to both UAV and light-attack aircraft integration or display loadouts, while stopping short of documenting combat use.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
Bayraktar TB2, Medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, Aircraft & UAVsBayraktar TB2Medium-altitude long-endurance UAV

EDGE announced a programme to integrate Desert Sting 16 onto the Baykar TB2, and Defense News later reported footage showing a TB2 loaded with and releasing a DS-16 during test activity.

Sources: EDGE Baykar payload integration, Defense News TB2 integration report

Calidus B-250, Single-engine turboprop light attack and trainer aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsCalidus B-250Light-attack aircraft

Aerospace Global News named Desert Sting 16 glide munitions among the weapons displayed with the B-250LA at Dubai Airshow.

Sources: Aerospace Global News B-250LA debut

Rack And Interface

EDGE markets the DS-16 with a dedicated dual-rack carriage option for piloted and remotely piloted platforms, which helps explain why the munition appears in both light-attack aircraft and UAV integration contexts.

Rack load

The DS-16 Dual Rack carries two 23 kg DS-16 weapons.

Source: EDGE DS-16 dual rack product page.

Platform interface

EDGE lists two NATO-standard suspension lugs with 14-inch spacing plus MIL-STD-8591 and MIL-STD-1760 standards for the rack.

Source: EDGE DS-16 dual rack product page.

Timeline

Desert Sting 16 Key Events

  1. Halcon announces a UAE contract for Desert Sting weapons

    Halcon said it had signed a US$1 billion contract to deliver Desert Sting 16 precision-guided weapons to the UAE Armed Forces.

    Sources: HALCON Desert Sting contract

  2. EDGE announces Baykar TB2 integration work

    EDGE and Baykar announced a payload-integration programme for Desert Sting 16 on the Bayraktar TB2, with other Baykar-platform integrations expected to follow.

    Sources: EDGE Baykar payload integration

  3. Defense News reports TB2 test-flight evidence

    Defense News reported EDGE's statement that DS-16 had been successfully integrated onto the TB2 and described published footage showing loading, flight, release, and night landing.

    Sources: Defense News TB2 integration report

Media

Desert Sting 16 Videos

Desert Sting 16 Images

Desert Sting 16, Guided glide munition, Munitions - view 1
Source: EDGE Desert Sting 16 product page
Related Weapon Systems
Iron Sting 120 mm guided mortar munition, 120 mm guided mortar munition, ArtilleryArtilleryIron Sting 120 mm guided mortar munition120 mm guided mortar munitionIron Sting is an Israeli 120 mm laser- and GPS-guided mortar munition from Elbit Systems that gives mortar units a precision-fire option without changing the basic 120 mm smoothbore mortar role. Elbit's 2025 brochure lists GPS, combined laser/GPS, and laser-only guidance modes, a 1.5-10 km range depending on the mortar system, and less-than-5 m CEP in semi-active laser mode. Israeli and defense reporting document Maglan and other IDF commando units using it in Gaza and along the Lebanon border after October 2023.
GBU-69 Small Glide Munition, Guided air-to-surface glide bomb, MunitionsMunitionsGBU-69 Small Glide MunitionGuided air-to-surface glide bombThe GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition is a U.S. special-operations stand-off glide bomb developed by Dynetics, now part of Leidos, for Common Launch Tube carriage on AC-130 gunships and integration on unmanned aircraft. It combines GPS navigation, semi-active laser terminal guidance, fold-out wings, lattice tail controls, and a 36-lb blast-fragmentation warhead in a roughly 60-lb munition. Amnesty International identified GBU-69/B fragments from a November 2017 U.S. strike in Somalia, making Somalia the record's directly sourced conflict-use context.

Sources

EDGE Desert Sting 16 product pagePublisher: EDGE Group | Note: Supports the DS-16 name, origin, Halcon/EDGE manufacturer context, the air-platform-released precision-guided glide munition description, official image provenance, and the listed weight, warhead, guidance, accuracy, and range specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-27EDGE Desert Sting 16 brochurePublisher: EDGE Group | Note: Supports the DS-16 family description and technical specifications, including the guidance, warhead, accuracy, and range figures used on this page. | Accessed: 2026-06-27HALCON Desert Sting contractPublisher: EDGE Group | Note: Supports the 2019 contract announcing delivery of Desert Sting 16 precision-guided weapons to the UAE Armed Forces and the family description that names the DS-16 and DS-8 variants. | Accessed: 2026-06-27EDGE DS-16 dual rack product pagePublisher: EDGE Group | Note: Supports the DS-16 Dual Rack relationship context, official rack image provenance, two-weapon carriage, piloted and remotely piloted platform use, suspension-lug interface, listed MIL-STD-8591 and MIL-STD-1760 standards, and rack dimensions and mass. | Accessed: 2026-07-01EDGE Desert Sting 25 product pagePublisher: EDGE Group | Note: Supports the DS-25 same-family context and key differences from DS-16, including gross weight, warhead, guidance, accuracy, and maximum-range claims. | Accessed: 2026-07-01EDGE Baykar payload integrationPublisher: EDGE Group | Note: Supports the 2024 announcement that EDGE would integrate Desert Sting 16 onto Baykar TB2 UAVs. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Defense News TB2 integration reportPublisher: Defense News | Note: Supports the reported successful Desert Sting 16 integration onto Bayraktar TB2 and the video-described loading, flight, release, and landing test sequence. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Aerospace Global News B-250LA debutPublisher: Aerospace Global News | Note: Supports the B-250LA Dubai Airshow display context naming Desert Sting 16 glide munitions among the compatible weapons. | Accessed: 2026-06-27