UAE Air Force

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United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence
  • القوات الجوية والدفاع الجوي الاماراتي
  • Al-Quwwāt al-Jawiyah wa al-Defa' al-Jawiy al-ʾImārāty
Badge of the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence
Founded1968 (1968)
Country United Arab Emirates
TypeAir force
Role
Size592 aircraft[1]
Part ofUAE Armed Forces
Air defence systems
Engagements
Commanders
Current
commander		Vice Marshal Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi
Insignia
Roundel
Fin flash
Aircraft flown
FighterF-16 Fighting Falcon, Mirage 2000, Dassault Rafale
HelicopterCH-47, Bell 214, Bell 412, AS 350, AS 550, AS 565, Super Puma, IAR 330SM, AS 365, UH-60M
Attack helicopterAH-64D
ReconnaissanceDash 8MMA, CN-235MPA
TrainerHawk, PC-7, PC-21, G 115, Aermacchi MB-339
TransportC-130 Hercules, CN-235, Cessna 208, C-17 Globemaster III, Airbus A330 MRTT

The United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) (Arabic: القوات الجوية والدفاع الجوي الاماراتي, romanized: al-Quwwāt al-Jawiyah wa al-Defa' al-Jawiy al-ʾImārāty) is the air force of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), part of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Its predecessor was established in 1968, when the Emirates was under British rule. Since then, it has undergone a continual reorganisation and expansion in terms of both capability and the number of aircraft. Currently, the UAEAF has around 4,000 personnel and operates approximately 592 aircraft. Defence analysts have described the UAEAF as the strongest and most capable Arab air arm, supported by a compact but highly integrated fleet, modern airborne early-warning aircraft, aerial-refuelling assets, indigenous unmanned systems and a layered air-and-missile-defence network.[2]

History

The UAE Air Force history began in May 1968, with the formation of an Air Wing of the Abu Dhabi Defence Force (ADDF) under British rule. Its key roles were to provide both a transport service and a ground attack support capability for ADDF land forces.[3] Major investment in the early 1970s assured an expansion in terms of capabilities, quality, and quantity of aircraft.[4] It also led to the renaming of the Air Wing to the ADDF Air Force in 1972. Training and instruction were provided by the Pakistan Air Force in the early years. During the 1973 Arab-Israel War (6-25 October 1973), the ADDF Air Force's Caribous served as air ambulances in Jordan.[5]

The Emirate of Dubai maintained its own air component, the Dubai Defence Force Air Wing, until 1999, when the two were effectively merged to become what is now the United Arab Emirates Air Force. Although the integration of the two independent forces was completed, a small degree of autonomy exists at the operational command level, with the Western Air Command being headquartered in Abu Dhabi and the Central Air Command in Dubai.[4] Since the 1980s, a combination of regional instability and high oil prices has resulted in an ambitious modernisation of the UAEAF to attain a level of capability matching the NATO standards.[4] In the 1991 Gulf War, the UAE helped other countries by carrying out airstrikes against Iraqi forces.

In 2014, the UAE Air Force, along with the Egyptian Air Force, carried out airstrikes in Libya against Islamist factions in Tripoli.[6][7][8]

In September 2014, UAE Air Force aircraft joined in US-led air strikes against terrorist targets in Syria and Iraq that later became known as Operation Inherent Resolve. These operations were suspended after a Jordanian pilot was captured by Islamic State militants in late December 2014, pending improvements in US search and rescue capabilities in the region.

In 2015, the UAE Air Force dropped bombs on ISIS targets in Syria. One of them was Major Mariyam Al Mansouri, the first female UAE Air Force pilot.[9] The UAE military was also part of the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen from 2015–2025 when the UAE withdrew.

During the 2026 Iran War, United States President Donald Trump publicly stated at a G7 press conference in Évian-les-Bains, France, on 17 June 2026 that the UAE had conducted bombing operations against Iran, saying that Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was an "incredible warrior" and that "he was dropping bombs last week". Trump added, "who the hell is dropping all those bombs? It was UAE", and described Mohamed bin Zayed as "a good fighter".[10][11] The statement was reported as public confirmation of a UAE offensive role that Abu Dhabi had not formally acknowledged at the time. No official source identified the aircraft or munitions used in the strikes; open-source discussion focused on UAE strike-capable aircraft such as the Mirage 2000-9 and F-16E/F Block 60, as well as UAE-produced precision-guided weapons, but those details remained unconfirmed.

Personnel and training

UAEAF crew chief communicating during an engine test at Nellis Air Force Base during Red Flag 11–2 on February 2, 2011.

The UAE Air Force consisted of about 4,000 personnel as of 2002.[12]

In the 1970s and 80s, the UAEAF was instructed by Pakistan Air Force pilots on Dassault Mirage 5s, the backbone of the UAEAF at the time. Even today, many of the personnel are ex-Pakistan Air Force officers and technicians. Most of the flying instructors at Al Ain are from Pakistan, training pilots using Grob G 115, Pilatus PC-7, Aermacchi MB-339, and BAE Hawk 63 aircraft. A few officers of No. 12 Squadron (Hawk 102) at Al Minhad Air Base are also from the Pakistan Air Force. Some of these officers are on deputation (active service), but most are on civilian contracts with the Air Force Headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Numerous officers of other nationalities have also trained UAE pilots, among them Pakistanis, Moroccans, Canadians, Jordanians, and South Africans. Women have started training as pilots. The first batch consisted of engineers given approval for flight training. So far, only three women have become actual fighter pilots, and one is a transport pilot. One woman pilot was grounded due to an ejection from a training flight in a Hawk 63. Instructors at Al Dhafra Air Base are now mainly from the US, as the UAEAF has retired its Mirage 5s in favour of F-16s. Currently, there are five main air bases operational, split between the Western and Central Air Command. The Joint Aviation Command has its own airbase and operates a wide range of helicopters.

Candidates apply to the Khalifa bin Zayed Air College, which is located at the Al Ain International Airport in Al Ain. They first go through a rigorous schedule of academics (Basic Level: Military Sciences), fitness, and officer training. Those who are selected as cadets then start the second phase of academics: Flight Sciences (Aeronautical Science). Cadets who pass the assessment period of the second phase are designated aviation cadets and start flight training. The first aircraft cadets get to fly is the Grob G115 TA. Those who qualify then go on to fly the Pilatus PC-7. On this aircraft, they learn the basics of flying, take-off and landing techniques and procedures, followed by a bit of aerobatics. Following the Primary Flying Course is the Basic Flight Course, piloting the Hawk 63. Graduates are graded and assigned accordingly to one of three options: the Advanced Strike course at Minhad on the Hawk 102 aircraft, transport aircraft, and helicopters. At Minhad, the new pilots learn Basic Fighters Manoeuvres, drop bombs, and learn to fly cross-country to a neighbouring country, commonly Bahrain or Kuwait. Upon completion of the Advanced Strike course, officers are selected either for the F-16 (Block 60) or the Dassault Mirage 2000-9, both at Al Dhafra AB. A few pilots are selected to learn to fly the F-16 with the United States Air Force's 162d Fighter Wing in Tucson, Arizona.

Overview

A UAEAF Mirage 2000 fighter.
A UAEAF Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 60 developed specifically for the UAEAF. It is also called the F-16 Desert Falcon.

Regional reputation and integration

The UAEAF is frequently presented as the flagship of the UAE's wider defence modernisation and as one of the clearest examples of the country's ability to convert a small population and compact force structure into high-end military effectiveness. In Sizing up Little Sparta, analyst Kenneth M. Pollack described the Emirati air force as the most capable service within the UAE Armed Forces and as "indisputably the most capable Arab air force".[2] UAE-oriented defence commentary often contrasts this with larger regional militaries, including Saudi Arabia, arguing that the UAE has achieved a higher level of interoperability, operational coherence, air-defence integration and expeditionary air power despite having a much smaller national population and a smaller overall force. SIPRI listed Saudi Arabia as the largest military spender in the Middle East in 2024, with military expenditure of about US$80.3 billion, underscoring the UAEAF's reputation for achieving exceptional capability relative to scale rather than simply through spending volume.[13]

The force's reputation rests on the integration of F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcons, Mirage 2000-9 aircraft, ordered Rafale F4 fighters, Saab GlobalEye airborne early-warning aircraft, Airbus A330 MRTT tankers, electronic-warfare aircraft, strike-capable helicopters, locally produced unmanned aircraft and a layered air-defence network built around systems such as Patriot/PAC-3, THAAD, M-SAM II, SkyKnight and SPYDER. During the 2026 Iran War, regional reporting described the UAE's air and missile defences as highly resilient under sustained attack, reinforcing the view among supporters that the UAEAF and UAE Air Defence form the Arab world's most integrated air-power system.[14][15]

2007 marked the culmination of the largest procurement programmes ever undertaken by the UAE Air Force, with the final deliveries of the 80 F-16E/F Block 60 "Desert Falcons" and approximately 60 upgraded Mirage 2000-9, giving the air force a considerable multirole capability.[16] These two investments represented a total expenditure of around $10 billion, with additional money spent on infrastructure and logistics.[4] A $6.4 billion contract with Lockheed Martin for the supply and support of the 80 F-16s was signed in March 2000, while a $3.4 billion deal for the purchase of 30 new Mirage 2000-9 and retrofitting of the 33 older UAE Mirage 2000s was signed earlier in 1998.[17] Missiles were also purchased: 160 AGM-88 HARMs, 1,000 or more AGM-65 Mavericks, about 500 AIM-120 AMRAAMs, 270 AIM-9 Sidewinders and 52 AGM-84 Harpoons.[17] In November 2017, the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces announced their intention to sign a contract with Dassault Aviation for the upgrade of its Mirage 2000-9 aircraft. French newspaper La Tribune reported the modernization would cost roughly €300 million.[18]

After a competition between the BAE Hawk, KAI T-50 Golden Eagle and Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master, the UAEAF announced the acquisition of 48 trainer and light attack aircraft, with the first deliveries to take place in 2012.[19] The other training types that are thought to be near replacement are the 30 Pilatus PC-7s and five Aermacchi MB-339s serving with the Air Academy at Al Ain.[20] The MB-339 is also in use with the UAEAF flight display team, Al Fursan.[21]

The UAEAF has operated 20 IAR 330 Puma helicopters since the late 1970s. These have been recently upgraded to the IAR-330SM standard by IAR Ghimbav in Romania in cooperation with Eurocopter.[22] These aircraft, supplemented by a further ten ex-South African Air Force reworked SA-330s, are expected to remain in service for at least 15 years.[23] Although no replacement for the Puma fleet is required in the immediate future, the force will be supplemented by 26 Sikorsky UH-60M Battlehawks, with 390 AGM-114N Hellfire II missiles.[24] 30 AH-64A Apache helicopters were modernised as well, to the AH-64D Longbow standard, and a dozen Eurocopter Fennecs were recently acquired for special forces use.[20]

The most important facility of the UAEAF is the Al Dhafra Air Base, with almost the entire fighter aircraft fleet located there. However, to prevent all of the air defence and strike assets being located at a single base, a $1 billion, completely new facility has been constructed deep in the Abu Dhabi desert,[4] near the border corner with Saudi Arabia and Oman, near Al Gharbia, housing at least one Mirage 2000 unit. Al-Safran is believed to have opened around 2008.[25] It is 3,000 m long and has aircraft parking nearly the same size as in Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. A 4,000 m runway at Al-Safran Air Base was built around 2008.[25]

Structure

As of 2008, the structure of the United Arab Emirates Air Force is as follows:[23]

Western Air Command - HQ at Abu Dhabi

  • Fighter Wing - Al Dhafra Air Base
    • 1st Shaheen Squadron - F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon
    • 2nd Shaheen Squadron - F-16E/F Desert Falcon
    • 3rd Shaheen Squadron - F-16E/F Desert Falcon
    • 71st Fighter Squadron - Mirage 2000-9EAD/DAD
    • 76th Fighter Squadron - Mirage 2000-9EAD/DAD
    • 86th Fighter Squadron - Mirage 2000-9EAD/DAD (Al Safran Air Base)
UAEAF Lockheed L-100 at Geneva International Airport, 2003

Central Air Command - HQ at Dubai

  • Al Minhad Air Base (helicopter base)
    • 102nd CAS Squadron - BAE Hawk Mk 102
    • Transport Squadron - C-130H-30, L-100-30 Hercules
    • Special electronic missions Squadron Saab 340 AEW&C
    • Air-to-air refueling Squadron Airbus A330 MRTT
  • Dubai International Airport (transport aircraft)

Joint Aviation Command (JAC) - HQ at Abu Dhabi

[26]

  • Group 10 (Assault) - Al Dhafra Air Base
  • Group 18 (Special Operations) - Sas Al Nakheel Air Base
  • Group 21 (Navy) - Sas Al Nakheel Air Base
    • AS332B1, AS332M1, AS565MB, AS565SB
  • Group 22 (COIN and Reconnaissance) - Swaihan Air Base
  • Group 23 (Observation, Training) - Sas Al Nakheel Air Base
  • Group 25 (Assault) - Sas Al Nakheel Air Base
  • Group 26 (Assault) - Al Minhad Air Base, Sas Al Nakheel Air Base
  • Group 28 (Observation and Reconnaissance) - Al Ain/Camp Hazza
    • Bell407GX

Commanders

Equipment

Aircraft

Emirati Mirage 2000
Emirati F-16E
Emirati Lockheed C-130H Hercules
AW139 on lift off
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Combat aircraft
Calidus B-250 United Arab Emirates light attack 24 on order[1]
Dassault Mirage 2000 France multirole 9/EAD/RAD 44[1]
Dassault Mirage 2000 France conversion trainer 9/DAD 15[1]
Dassault Rafale France multirole Rafale F4 80 on order[1]
F-16 Fighting Falcon United States multirole E Block 60 55[1]
F-16 Fighting Falcon United States conversion trainer F Block 60 21[1]
AEW&C
Saab GlobalEye Canada / Sweden AEW&C 5[1]
Electronic warfare
Bombardier Global Express Canada ELINT Global 6000 2[1]
Reconnaissance
Ayres Thrush United States reconnaissance / attack IOMAX S2R-T660 Archangel 24[1]
Maritime patrol
Bombardier Dash 8 Canada maritime patrol MPA-D8 2[1]
Challenger 650 Canada maritime patrol 2[1]
Tanker
Airbus A330 MRTT Europe tanker 5[1]
Transport
Boeing C-17 United States strategic airlift 8[1]
Airbus C295 Spain transport 7[1]
Daher Kodiak United States utility 1[1]
DHC-6 Twin Otter Canada utility 1[1]
Lockheed C-130 United States transport C-130H 4[1]
Lockheed L-100 United States transport 4[1]
PAC P-750 New Zealand utility 1[1]
Air Tractor AT-802 United States fire-fighter 16[1]
Helicopters
Piaggio P.180 Avanti Italy medivac 2[1]
AgustaWestland AW139 Italy utility 8[1]
Bell 407 United States utility / trainer 1[1]
Bell 412 United States utility 4[1]
Eurocopter AS550 France utility / trainer 2[1]
Eurocopter EC145 Europe utility 3[1]
Trainer
Calidus B-250 United Arab Emirates conversion trainer 40 on order[1]
Bell 407 United States conversion trainer 13[1]
Bell 505 United States trainer 12[1]
BAe Hawk United Kingdom jet trainer Hawk 61/63/102 12[1]
Hongdu JL-10 PRC jet trainer L-15 6[1] 42 on order[1]
Beechcraft King Air United States multi-engined trainer King Air 90 3[1]
Grob G 115 Germany basic trainer 12[1]
Eurocopter AS350 France trainer 1[1]
Pilatus PC-7 Switzerland advanced trainer 31[1]
Pilatus PC-21 Switzerland advanced trainer 25[1]
UAV
Denel Dynamics Seeker South Africa surveillance Seeker II 11[27]
Baykar Bayraktar TB2 Turkey MALE UCAV [28]
MQ-1 Predator United States MALE UCAV Predator XP [29]
Wing Loong II PRC MALE UCAV [28]
ADASI JENIAH United Arab Emirates UCAV [30] Locally produced by ADASI / EDGE Group in the United Arab Emirates.
ADASI GARMOOSHA United Arab Emirates surveillance / light unmanned aircraft [31] Locally produced by ADASI / EDGE Group in the United Arab Emirates.
ADASI JERNAS-M United Arab Emirates MALE multi-mission UAV [32] Locally produced by ADASI / EDGE Group in the United Arab Emirates.
ADASI JERNAS-S United Arab Emirates compact MALE UAV [33] Locally produced by ADASI / EDGE Group in the United Arab Emirates.
REACH-S United Arab Emirates unmanned aircraft [34] Locally produced by EDGE in the United Arab Emirates.
ADASI SHADOW 25 United Arab Emirates loitering UAV [35] Locally produced by ADASI / EDGE Group in the United Arab Emirates.
ADASI SHADOW 50 United Arab Emirates long-endurance loitering UAV [36] Locally produced by ADASI / EDGE Group in the United Arab Emirates.

Air defence systems

Current and reported UAE air-defence systems
System Origin Type / layer Status Notes
Patriot PAC-3 United States Lower-tier air and missile defence In service Used with Patriot GEM-T and PAC-3 interceptors as part of the UAE's layered missile-defence network.[37]
THAAD United States High-altitude ballistic-missile defence In service The UAE became the first country outside the United States to deploy THAAD, complementing its Patriot systems.[37]
M-SAM II / Cheongung II South Korea Medium-range surface-to-air and ballistic-missile defence In service South Korea's Cheongung-II was exported to the UAE and became part of the country's layered air-defence architecture.[38]
MIM-23 Hawk United States Legacy medium-range surface-to-air missile system Legacy system / listed by open sources The UAE operated ageing MIM-23 Hawk systems, with later replacement interest reported for newer short- and medium-range air-defence systems.[39]
Barak 8 / Barak MX Israel / India Medium- to long-range air and missile defence Reported in UAE service Open-source reporting has described Barak-8/Barak MX as part of the UAE's multi-layered air-defence network.[40]
SkyKnight United Arab Emirates Inner-layer C-RAM / short-range air defence UAE-developed Developed by HALCON / EDGE as a UAE-designed counter-rocket, artillery and mortar missile system.[41]
SPYDER Israel Mobile short- and medium-range air defence Reportedly acquired Israeli and international reporting said the UAE obtained Rafael SPYDER systems to counter aerial threats including drones and cruise missiles.[42]

Joint Air Command

Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Reconnaissance
Cessna 208 United States surveillance / utility 13[1]
DHC-6 Twin Otter Canada surveillance / utility 10[1] 7 used for transport, STOL capable aircraft
Transport
AW609 Italian transport 3 on order,[1] STOL capable aircraft
Helicopters
Bell 407 United States light attack 29[1]
AH-64 Apache United States attack AH-64D/E 30[1] 39 on order[1]
CH-47 Chinook United States transport / utility CH-47C/F 28[1] 12 obtained from Libya[43]
UH-60 Black Hawk United States utility UH-60L/M 80[1]
Eurocopter AS565 France utility / SAR 12[1]
Eurocopter AS350 France utility / rotorcraft trainer 15[1]
Eurocopter AS332 France utility 8[1]
AgustaWestland AW139 Italy utility / SAR 4[1]

Retired

Previous aircraft operated by the Air Force were the Dassault Mirage 5, Boeing 707, Aeritalia G.222, CASA C-212, SF.260T, Hawker Hunter, Alouette III, SA 342 Gazelle, Bölkow Bo 105, Bell 206 & Bell 214 helicopter.[44]

Future equipment

As of 2019, multiple investigations for a UAE Next-Generation Fighter were initiated, request for proposals were sent to Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II and Sukhoi Su-57.[45]

On 3 December 2021, it was announced that the UAE had signed an order for 80 Rafale F4s.[46] Dassault Aviation presented the first UAE Rafale on 29 January 2025, stating that the aircraft was produced in line with the contract schedule and that first deliveries to the UAE Air Force & Air Defence were scheduled for the end of 2026.[47] In April 2026, reports said that the UAE withdrew from co-financing the Rafale F5 upgrade programme, leaving France to fund the programme alone.[48] Following the reported failure of the Franco-German Future Combat Air System project and Germany's withdrawal from the sixth-generation fighter programme, France said it was in talks with the UAE about a Rafale defence partnership and possible future collaboration.[49] These discussions concerned the Rafale F5 and future defence partnership tracks and did not indicate cancellation of the existing 80-aircraft Rafale F4 order.

See also

Further reading

References

  • Yates, Athol (2020). The Evolution of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates. Warwick: Helion & Company. ISBN 9781912866007
  • "Force Report: UAE Air Force & Air Defence", AirForces Monthly magazine, January 2008 issue.
  1. Hoyle, Craig (2025). "World Air Forces 2026". Flight Global. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  2. Pollack, Kenneth M. (27 October 2020). "Sizing up Little Sparta: Understanding UAE Military Effectiveness". American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  3. Yates, Athol (2020). The Evolution of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates. Warwick: Helion & Company. ISBN 9781912866007.
  4. AirForces Monthly, p. 60.
  5. Yates (2020). The Evolution of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates. p. 213.
  6. "Egypt, UAE carried out Tripoli air strikes: U.S. officials". Reuters. 25 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  7. "Libya crisis: US 'caught off-guard' by air strikes". BBC News. BBC. 26 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  8. Kirkpatrick, David; Schmitt, Eric (25 August 2014). "Arab Nations Strike in Libya, Surprising U.S." The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  9. "UAE fighter pilot awarded at UN". Archived from the original on 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  10. "Donald Trump Holds a Press Conference at the G7 Summit in Évian, France". Roll Call Factba.se. 17 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  11. "'They were dropping bombs last week': Trump on the UAE". Dawn. 17 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  12. "Background Note: United Arab Emirates". US Department of State. Archived from the original on 6 June 2002. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  13. "Unprecedented rise in global military expenditure as European and Middle East spending surges". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  14. "Inside the System That Intercepted Missiles Over the UAE Today". Wired Middle East. 28 February 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  15. "Mind the air-defence gap: South Korea's burgeoning role in air and missile defence". International Institute for Strategic Studies. 27 March 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  16. "UAE eyes France's Rafale fighter". AFP. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  17. AirForces Monthly, p. 61.
  18. Tran, Pierre (14 November 2017). "Dassault to modernize UAE's Mirage fleet for a reported $350M". Defense News. Paris. Retrieved 14 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  19. "UAE Gives M346 a LIFT". Defense Industry Daily. Archived from the original on 2009-08-27. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  20. AirForces Monthly, p. 62.
  21. "Pictures of the Day: 4 February 2018". The Telegraph. 4 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  22. "Eurocopter Romania awaits UAE contract". Jane's Intelligence Weekly. Archived from the original on August 7, 2003. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
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  24. "UAE Ordering Weaponized UH-60M 'Battlehawk' Helicopters". Defense Industry Daily. 17 September 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-09-21. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  25. Osborne, Tony (2 April 2015). "UAE's Mysterious Airbase". Aviation Week & Space Technology. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
  26. "Orbats". www.scramble.nl. Archived from the original on 4 Feb 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  27. "SIPRI Arms Transfers Database". SIPRI. Archived from the original on 23 April 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  28. Binnie, Jeremy (2023-03-07). "UAE displays new UAVs". Janes Information Services. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  29. "General Atomics confirms UAE Predator delivery | IHS Jane's 360". archive.ph. 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2022-07-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  30. "JENIAH Unmanned High Speed Combat Aerial Vehicle". EDGE Group. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  31. "GARMOOSHA Light Surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle". EDGE Group. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  32. "JERNAS-M MALE Tactical Multi-Mission UAV". EDGE Group. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  33. "JERNAS-S Compact Long-Endurance Drone". EDGE Group. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  34. "EDGE receives order from UAE Ministry of Defence for 100 REACH-S unmanned aircraft". EDGE Group. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  35. "SHADOW 25 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Loitering Drone". EDGE Group. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  36. "SHADOW 50 Long-Endurance Loitering UAV". EDGE Group. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  37. "United Arab Emirates". Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  38. "South Korea's LIG Nex1 wins $2.8 bln Iraq deal to export missile systems". Reuters. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  39. "UAE interested to acquire Falcon air defense system". Army Recognition. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  40. "The UAE shows defensive might and restraint". Semafor. 2 March 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  41. "SKYKNIGHT Advanced Air Inner Defence Missile". EDGE Group. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  42. "Israel's Rafael to sell Spyder air defense system to UAE, report". The Jerusalem Post. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  43. "UAE awards contracts for CH-47 upgrade". flightglobal.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  44. "World Air Forces 1983 pg. 374". flightglobal.com. 1983. Archived from the original on 2018-04-13. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  45. "defense-watch.com". ww1.defense-watch.com. Archived from the original on 2018-12-24. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
  46. John Irish (3 December 2021). "Cementing ties, UAE buys 80 French-made Rafale warplanes". Reuters. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  47. "Presentation of the first United Arab Emirates Rafale". Dassault Aviation. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  48. "France left to fund Rafale F5 alone after UAE withdrawal". Defence24. 2 April 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  49. "France in talks with UAE as defence plans with Germany fall apart". Financial Times. 15 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.