CENTCOM Vows More Involvement in UAE’s War Against the Ansar Allah

McKenzie said the F-22s will work with the UAE to “help defend the nation.” In recent weeks, the US helped Abu Dhabi intercept Ansar Allah missiles. He said the USS Cole will “patrol the waters of the UAE, working closely with UAE air defenders to protect their nation.”
The cooperation is framed as “defensive” in nature, but it’s important to note that the Ansar Allah wouldn’t be attacking the UAE if the country hadn’t been waging war on Yemen since 2015. The UAE’s has supported militant groups on the ground in Yemen against the Ansar Allah.
McKenzie said the US is also working to give the UAE the ability to hit Houthi drones inside Yemen before they’re launched. “We are working with our partners here in the region and with the industry back in the United States to develop solutions that would work against drones. We would like to work against drones what we call ‘Left of Launch’, [which means] before they can be launched,” he said.
The Biden administration recently approved a $65 million arms sale to the UAE to upgrade Abu Dhabi’s Hawk, THAAD, and Patriot missile defense systems.
Israel is also looking to bolster the UAE’s missile defenses and is reportedly considering selling Abu Dhabi the Iron Dome. On Tuesday, Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla, who is nominated to be McKenzie’s replacement, said Israel’s cooperation with the UAE and other Persian Gulf nations in missile defense is promising.
“That’s probably the area with some of the greatest opportunity: working toward an integrated air and missile defense. I think the addition of Israel … will help with that,” Kurilla said.