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| Military of the United Arab Emirates | |
|---|---|
| Name | Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates |
| Native name | القوات المسلحة لدولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi |
| Commander in chief | Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan |
| Minister of defense | Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi |
| Active personnel | 65,000 |
| Reserve personnel | 45,000 |
| Budget | $23 billion (2023) |
| Ranks | Military ranks of the United Arab Emirates |
Military of the United Arab Emirates is the collective defense establishment responsible for the protection of the United Arab Emirates and its interests, consisting of armed services, paramilitary formations, and strategic institutions. Since its formation after the federation in 1971, the forces have modernized through acquisitions from suppliers such as United States, France, United Kingdom, and Russia, and have participated in regional operations alongside partners including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and NATO-affiliated states.
The origins trace to the post-British withdrawal from the Persian Gulf security arrangements and the consolidation under the first President, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who sought unified defense modeled on British Armed Forces and Arab League cooperation. Early force-building involved procurement from Britannia Royal Naval College-linked suppliers and training exchanges with United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, Royal Air Force, and French Armed Forces units. The 1990s Gulf environment, marked by the Gulf War aftermath and the Oslo Accords era geopolitics, prompted expansion of air and naval capabilities and the establishment of strategic partnerships with Lockheed Martin, Dassault Aviation, and NATO Defense College affiliates. Post-2001 operations against Al-Qaeda and ISIS saw cooperation with United States Central Command, Combined Maritime Forces, and participation in the Coalition of the Willing-style deployments, culminating in an active role in the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen (2015–present) alongside Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The 2010s and 2020s brought reforms influenced by lessons from the Libya intervention (2011), Iraq War, and Syrian civil war, accelerating acquisition of F-16 Fighting Falcon, Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, and unmanned platforms such as MQ-9 Reaper and Bayraktar TB2.
Command is centralized under the President of the United Arab Emirates as Commander-in-Chief with executive oversight by the Ministry of Defense (United Arab Emirates), and operational direction from the Joint Operations Command. The establishment includes service chiefs drawn from Abu Dhabi and Dubai sheikhdom leadership and liaises with the National Security Council (United Arab Emirates). Staff structures reflect divisions akin to Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States) and include logistics coordination with entities like Abu Dhabi National Oil Company for strategic fuel security. External cooperation channels run through defense attachés posted to Washington, D.C., Paris, London, Moscow, Islamabad, and Beijing.
Personnel policies emphasize a mix of Emirati nationals and contracted expatriate specialists sourced from Pakistan Armed Forces, Jordan Armed Forces, Sudanese Armed Forces veterans, and Western retired personnel, supported by recruitment partnerships with institutions such as United Arab Emirates University, Zayed University, and Khalifa University for officer education. No compulsory service law exists, in contrast to models like Israel Defense Forces and South Korea Armed Forces, but reserve mobilization follows frameworks comparable to United States National Guard contingencies. Professional development uses courses at National Defense University (United States), Royal College of Defence Studies, and exchanges with the Military Academy of Saint-Cyr and United States Air Force Academy.
Branches comprise the UAE Land Forces, UAE Air Force and Air Defence, UAE Navy, and paramilitary formations including the Presidential Guard (United Arab Emirates), Federal National Guard, and Critical National Infrastructure Security units. Key units mimic western brigade and regiment organizations: armored brigades equipped with Leclerc, M1 Abrams, and T-90 platforms, artillery regiments operating M270 MLRS and CAESAR systems, and special operations forces trained alongside United Kingdom Special Forces and United States Special Operations Command. Naval assets include corvettes influenced by French Navy designs and patrol boats supporting Combined Maritime Forces missions, while air wings operate multirole fighters, transport aircraft like C-17 Globemaster III and A400M Atlas, and rotary-wing squadrons with Sikorsky UH-60 and NHIndustries NH90.
Procurement strategy blends purchases, licensed production, and joint ventures, exemplified by deals with Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Airbus Defence and Space, Dassault, Rheinmetall, and Rosoboronexport. The UAE has pursued defense industrialization via entities such as EDGE Group, Mubadala Investment Company, and Abu Dhabi Ship Building, focusing on unmanned systems, armored vehicles, and missile defense including acquisitions of MIM-104 Patriot and the integration of layered air defense with systems analogous to S-300 variants. Naval procurement involved CNIM, Fincantieri, and Navantia-style designs, while ongoing modernization addresses electronic warfare, cyber capabilities linked to National Electronic Security Authority (UAE), and procurement of advanced sensors such as AESA radars from Northrop Grumman and Thales.
Operational history includes contributions to multinational peacekeeping under United Nations mandates, maritime security patrols in the Gulf of Oman and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait with Combined Maritime Forces, and expeditionary deployments to Afghanistan alongside International Security Assistance Force contingents. Combat operations have been conducted in the Yemen conflict as part of the Saudi-led coalition, and air operations coordinated with Operation Inherent Resolve partners against ISIS. Humanitarian and evacuation missions have supported responses to crises in Somalia, Libya, Syria, and Mali, often in coordination with International Committee of the Red Cross and partner militaries. Training deployments include long-term exercises with Joint Chiefs of Staff (Pakistan), Hellenic Armed Forces, and multinational drills such as Eager Lion and Bright Star.
Defense policy prioritizes deterrence, strategic depth, and safeguarding maritime trade routes through partnerships with United States Central Command, Royal Navy, and French Armed Forces in the Mediterranean Sea. Strategic documents align with concepts from Gulf Cooperation Council security frameworks and emphasize force projection, counterterrorism, and protection of energy infrastructure tied to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Emirates National Oil Company interests. The UAE pursues defense diplomacy via military cooperation agreements with Egypt, Turkey, India, and China, while investment in indigenous capabilities through EDGE Group and policy coordination with the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority aim to increase resilience against hybrid threats including cyberattacks reported in the region involving actors such as APT33 and other state-sponsored groups.