|
UAE Deploys UAVs To Afghanistan |
|
|
|
War On Terror
|
|
Thursday, 19 November 2009 |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In a rare move for a Middle East military, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has moved to support NATO operations in Afghanistan.
Although not formally part of NATO or the coalition that is operating as part of the International Security Assistance Force, the UAE is providing unmanned aerial vehicle support to allied forces.
The UAE’s involvement in the region has not been acknowledged by the government, but U.K. Royal Air Force chief of staff Air Marshal Stephen Dalton says the UAE’s UAV operation is now working with British ground troops in Helmand Province,
one of the most contested areas where NATO troops are clashing with Taliban and other insurgent forces. Dalton disclosed the deployment during the Dubai Air Chiefs Conference here.
The specific UAV type wasn’t disclosed, but Dalton says it was a tactical system, roughly ScanEagle-sized, although not the Boeing UAV. The UAE’s Advanced Targets, for instance, has developed its own family of unmanned aircraft, including the small, tactical Yabhon-H with a 10,000-foot ceiling and measuring 2.5 meters in length with a 3.28-meter wingspan. Larger members of the UAV family include the Yabhon-M/R/RX.
Dalton notes that the UAE’s involvement in Afghanistan and ability to support U.K. forces shows the contributions that non-NATO allies can make when they ensure their systems are interoperable with allies. The deployment fits in with a broader relationship that the U.K. and UAE have, with U.K. officers also in the UAE’s Air Warfare Center.
Dalton says he’s keen to keep the relationship healthy through exercises. And despite the heavy workload on British forces, he’s hoping to extend an invitation to Gulf Cooperation Council forces for training opportunities in the U.K. in the next 12-18 months.
- Robert Wall (
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
)
Trackback(0)
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/hide comment form