Bucharest, February 18, 2026- RBJ – OVES Enterprise, a Romanian software development company with expertise in creating complex software solutions and AI innovations for the aerospace, defense and cybersecurity industries, officially presented the Sahara Autonomous System project, the first cruise missile developed in Romania by a private company.
The presentation took place during an event organized in Bucharest, in the presence of several representatives of public institutions, the military environment, the diplomatic corps and international companies in the defense industry.
Announced in November 2025, the Sahara project is in an advanced stage of development, the official presentation in Bucharest offering for the first time a structured image of the system architecture and the technical progress recorded to date.
The missile was designed as a complete assembly, in which the hardware architecture and Nemesis AI (the artificial intelligence platform developed by OVES Enterprise) are designed together, in a technological framework built entirely in Romania. Nemesis AI runs in on-premise mode, allowing for the rapid configuration of AI models, flight profiles and operational parameters in the facilities operating the system. The missile can be loaded with an AI model prepared for each mission, with the ability to adapt the trajectory and reaction in real time.
Architecture developed entirely in Romania and extended autonomy capabilities
SAHARA is designed to fly at low altitudes, at approximately 50 meters, with a trajectory adapted to the terrain to reduce radar detection. With the exception of the turbojet engine and optical sensors, all internal components are developed by OVES Enterprise: the fuselage, electronic boards, processing units, control systems and the infrastructure on which Nemesis AI runs.
The missile uses an advanced data fusion system — Super Sensor Fusion — through which Nemesis AI constantly correlates information from multiple global satellite navigation systems and onboard sensors. At intervals of approximately 200 milliseconds, the AI checks the integrity of the signals to identify attempts to jam or send false signals. If navigation becomes impossible, the missile automatically switches to a flight mode that uses data provided by the internal motion and orientation measurement system (IMU), maintaining stability and direction of travel.
Technical capabilities, team and program schedule
The missile weighs 55 kilograms, of which 10 kilograms are the payload. The installed turbojet engine provides a thrust of 310 newtons, and the 20 kilograms of fuel allow an estimated range of approximately 200 kilometers in the current version. The designed speed can reach Mach 0.85, depending on the final fuselage configuration. In the next stages, medium-range (approximately 500–600 km) and long-range (approximately 900–1100 km) versions are planned.
OVES Enterprise’s investment in the project exceeds one million euros, with an additional budget of approximately two million euros for the planned optimization and testing phases. The initial demonstration is scheduled for May 2026, and the full capabilities presentation is planned for the end of next year.
“Sahara is the result of a natural evolution of the expertise we have built in recent years in complex software, artificial intelligence and projects in the aerospace and defense area. The strategic partnerships developed internationally have provided us with the necessary framework to understand the standards, rigors and level of integration that such a system requires.
Through this project, we are taking forward the skills that we have already validated in previous collaborations and integrating them into a complete, locally developed architecture.
Our goal is to build a robust system, aligned with international standards, that will demonstrate that Romanian expertise can support highly complex projects in strategic areas”, says Mihai Filip, CEO of OVES Enterprise.
The project is being developed by a team of 25 engineers and researchers specialized in artificial intelligence, avionics, hardware, flight systems and testing. OVES Enterprise is currently analyzing co-production proposals for subsequent stages, adapted to the requirements of interested customers.
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OVES Enterprise is a Romanian software development company, with expertise in creating complex software solutions and AI innovations for the aerospace, defense and cybersecurity industries, founded in 2015 in Cluj-Napoca. Starting with 2019, OVES Enterprise’s strategy included offering more complex software development services for projects in the automotive, eCommerce, fintech, telecom, international government institutions, etc., the company becoming a technology partner for complex and technologically sophisticated projects. Last year, OVES Enterprise expanded its activity with a new business line, focused on drone production.
Currently, more than half of the company’s turnover is generated by projects outside Romania, which integrate new technologies in the field of artificial intelligence and big data. OVES Enterprise currently has over 200 employees and offices in Romania, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Norway.
