Israel provides news of air defense system to UAE

The SPYDER air defence system will enhance the UAE’s capabilities following an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels earlier this year.

Israel will sell the United Arab Emirates an advanced air defense system capable of protecting the Gulf state from drone strikes, further suggesting that Growth Alliance between the two countries.

Reuters reports that Israel has approved the UAE’s request for the SPYDER mobile interceptor made by Rafael, according to two sources.

The UAE will acquire Israeli technology to prevent a repeat of the drone attack that hit Abu Dhabi earlier this year, a third source said.

Ram bin-Barak, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, was asked about the deal on Sept. 20 but declined to comment, saying only that there was extensive cooperation between the UAE and Israel.

UAE has been targeted Missile and Drone Attacks Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels claim sovereignty. The UAE is an active member of the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen, while Israel and the UAE normalised relations in 2020.

The deal is said to have been reached this summer, when the United States and Israel were pushing Arab states to link their air defenses against Iran.

However, the proposal was resisted by some Arab countries with no ties to Israel and was never fully implemented.

The details of the air defense agreement are not known, nor is the number of interceptors provided by Israel, or whether they have been shipped.

Interceptors are mounted on vehicles and are used to deal with short-range to long-range threats.

Three civilians killed The deadliest of a string of attacks in Abu Dhabi in January was an attack on the UAE earlier this year, believed to have originated in Yemen.

A terminal under construction at Abu Dhabi Airport was also hit, injuring workers, according to sources with knowledge of the attack.

While most of the attacks carried out in January and February were intercepted by the UAE’s defenses currently provided by the United States, the threat has forced the country to benefit from its reputation as a safe and stable place to do business and its defense capabilities.

Sources told Reuters that some of the missiles and drones that hit the UAE escaped detection by flying at low altitudes, evading the US-built Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot interceptors.

On the other hand, the Israeli-made SPYDER system can defend against low-altitude threats, including drones, cruise missiles and helicopters.

During his visit to the UAE in late January, which coincided with the attempted Houthi attack, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said his country supports the UAE’s security needs.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid also reiterated that support last week.