Gulf country strengthens its air defence training to deter attacks on critical facilities for its economy

Emirati Armed Forces train with US and French Forces

photo_camera PHOTO/USAF-Alexander Cook - The Biden administration has put on hold the sale of half a hundred F-35 Lightning II fighters, considered the most advanced in the world.

The Emirates occupies a privileged position in the Persian Gulf and is a key US ally in the region. Between 3,500 and 5,000 US military personnel are permanently stationed in the country, most of them at the large Al Dhafra air base, just over 30 kilometres from Abu Dhabi. From the Emirati territory, the Pentagon provides logistical and operational support to ground, air and naval forces deployed in the Middle East.

It is also a theatre of great interest to France, whose air forces have just been involved in a multi-day tactical exercise with those of the UAE and the United States. The aim was to protect and repel an alleged simultaneous air attack on several critical targets in the Gulf state's economy, the locations of which have not been disclosed. 

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The air manoeuvres involved more than 40 attack aircraft and helicopters. The aggressor side consisted of a US-French component, with a dozen Dassault Rafale fighter jets and an Airbus A330 MRTT Phoenix air-to-air refuelling aircraft. The first to penetrate Emirati airspace to gain air superiority were four US F-15C fighter jets and an MQ-1 Predator drone, followed by two AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, all supported by two Gulfstream A660 intelligence and electronic warfare aircraft.

To defend key installations on its home territory and repel attackers, the UAF deployed four of its nearly 80 F-16E Block 60 "Desert Falcon" fighters, the most advanced version ever produced by Lockheed Martin, four of its more than 60 Mirage 2000-9 fighters and several batteries of MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missiles. Two F-15C fighters and two US AH-64D Apache helicopters participated in the exercise.

The entire exercise was recorded from the ground and air in high-resolution digital format, so that participants could visualise the actions and the confrontation between the two sides and draw conclusions in a post-exercise lessons-learned session. This makes it easier to highlight strengths and identify weaknesses for corrective action.

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Strengthened cooperation with Washington from 2019

The UAE and the US cooperate closely to maintain stability in the Middle East. Over the past three decades, Emirati military units have taken part in at least six multinational coalitions led by the Pentagon or in which the United States was the lead effort.

These include the one formed to fight Saddam Hussein that led to the first Gulf War, the one created to make Kosovo independent from Serbia, the one established to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan and the military intervention in Libya under the UN flag. 

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To enhance their already close relations in the military sphere, the two countries signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement in May 2019, which reinforced the one signed in 1994 and expanded the degree of cooperation and coordination between the two countries' armed forces.

The agreement with Washington during the Trump administration covers many and varied areas of collaboration and is favoured by the fact that Emirati military doctrine mirrors that of the Pentagon, with adaptations to the local context for obvious reasons. For example, it increases the number of joint manoeuvres for the training of land, naval and air units, the number of tactical exercises for command cadres and, preferably, reinforces cooperation in air defence and special operations.

The 2019 pact also provides for the pre-positioning of US military equipment on Emirati territory. In return, the Arab nation is assured of preferential treatment in its arms purchases from US industry.

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Awaiting a final decision on the F-35 fighter jet

With the UAE's armed forces estimated to be at least 63,000 strong, the agreement includes a Marine Corps programme to mentor and train the elite Reconnaissance Group of the UAE Presidential Guard. It is focused on training and continuous improvement in counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and critical infrastructure protection throughout the country.

Relations between Washington and Abu Dhabi are excellent, despite the fact that the new Biden administration has put on hold the sale of half a hundred 6th generation F-35 Lightning II fighters - considered the most advanced in the world - and a whole lot of missiles, munitions and other equipment. The action was taken on 27 January and was promoted by the team of the new Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, claiming to want to verify whether the latest arms sales approved under the Trump administration are in line with US strategic objectives.

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The transaction amounts to more than $23 billion and was authorised by Congress last December, after the restoration of diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel, whose air force is the only one in the Middle East with the F-35.

The influential ambassador to Washington, Yousef Al Otaiba, said just a few days ago that the purchase of the major F-35 fighter package helps his country "maintain a strong deterrent, allows it to shoulder a greater regional collective security burden, and frees up US assets for other global challenges".

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This being the case, it is likely that the White House will lift the supply freeze in the near future, among other factors because Joe Biden's government needs to boost the US economy, which has been hard hit by the pandemic.

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