The Al-Dhafra Air Base in the UAE was targeted by Iran on Saturday in response to the joint aerial strikes conducted by the US and Israel earlier in the day. Also targeted were Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, and the US Fifth Fleet base in Bahrain.
The UAE Defence Ministry confirmed in a statement that the country was targeted by Iran. The Islamic Republic fired several ballistic missiles at its installations, and many of them were intercepted by its air defence systems, the report said. One individual lost his life after shrapnel from one of the projectiles hit a residential area in Abu Dhabi, Al Jazeera said in a report.
“The Ministry condemned this attack in the strongest terms, stressing the state’s categorical rejection of the targeting of civilian objects, facilities, and national institutions, and emphasising that such acts represent a dangerous escalation and a cowardly act that threatens the security and safety of civilians and undermines stability,” a statement by the UAE Defence Ministry said.
For more defence news, views and updates, visit: Fortress India
“The Ministry stressed that this targeting is a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and international law, and that the state reserves its full right to respond to this escalation and take all necessary measures to protect its territory,” the statement read, adding that it was “fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats”.
Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi
The US Air Force’s 380th Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW), operating under Air Combat Command, has been stationed at Al-Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2002. Located approximately 30 km south of Abu Dhabi, the base hosts around 1,200 personnel, including active-duty members, Reservists, and Air National Guard units. The wing comprises 10 squadrons, and its mission partners include an Army air defence battalion and multiple coalition forces. The 380th AEW has supported anti-Islamic State operations and participated in NATO missions in Afghanistan from this strategic location.
According to a 2017 report, the base housed a range of advanced US aircraft, including the KC-10 tanker, RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude surveillance drone, E-3 Sentry AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System), U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane, and the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter. These were later joined by F-15E Strike Eagles and F-35 Lightning IIs, according to subsequent reports.
While US military units are believed to have been present at Al-Dhafra since the 1990s, the US Air Force officially acknowledged its presence only in August 2017. (It was in 2002 that the 380th AEW was formally established at the base.) Today, the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defence Command's air defence artillery brigade represents the US Army at this UAE-operated facility.