US to help UAE replenish missile defense systems after Yemeni retaliatory strikes

The US military commander for West Asia says Washington will help the United Arab Emirates (UAE) restock interceptors it uses to shoot down missiles coming from Yemen, which have increased in recent weeks as Abu Dhabi intensified its engagement in attacks on the Yemeni people.

“We will help with replenishment of interceptors. And we’ll do everything we can to assist UAE in defending themselves,” General Frank McKenzie, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), told Reuters after a trip to Abu Dhabi earlier this week.

Another source told Reuters that the UAE had privately requested US replenishment of missile defense interceptors, including for its Thaad and Patriot systems.

The UAE has been on alert since January 17, when Yemeni armed forces conducted a drone and missile attack against the Persian Gulf country over its involvement in the war on Yemen.

Since then, Yemen has conducted several retaliatory attacks against the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which leads the military coalition against Yemen.

Yemen’s retaliatory attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been followed by heavy bombings of Yemeni cities, especially Sana’a, by the Saudi-led coalition.

The US administration has recently approved a possible $65m sale of spare parts for those missile defense systems to the UAE.

“This sale supports the UAE’s existing ability to deter and defend against hostile threats by maintaining the operational readiness of critical air defense systems,” the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said at the time.

The Pentagon also announced the deployment of a guided-missile destroyer and advanced US F-22 fighter jets to the UAE last week, despite Biden’s earlier pledge to end support for the war on Yemen.

McKenzie recently revealed plans to boost the United Arab Emirates missile systems to fight neighboring countries.

“We are working with our partners here in the region and with the industry back in the United States to develop solutions that would work against drones,” he told UAE state news agency WAM in an interview.

“We would like to work against drones what we call ‘Left of Launch,’ [meaning] before they can be launched.”

Riyadh and its regional allies, including the United Arab Emirates, launched the devastating war against its impoverished southern neighbor in 2015. The war has been supported by the United States and European powers.

The military conflict, coupled with the crippling blockade, has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis in the country, as a result of which hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions more left dependent on humanitarian aid.

Back in 2019, the UAE said it had withdrawn its troops from Yemen. But it remains a key player in the Saudi-led war, backing recent offensives on the Arab country.

The Ansarullah movement, which runs the Yemeni government in Sana’a, has said the recent raids against the UAE came in retaliation for Abu Dhabi’s role in the war.

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