DUBAI (AP) – U.S. F-22 fighter jets arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, part of an American military response to recent retaliatory missile attacks by Yemen’s Army targeting the country.
The Raptors landed at Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, which hosts some 2,000 U.S. troops. American soldiers there launched Patriot missiles to intercept incoming missile by Yemeni army attacks last month, the first time U.S. troops have fired the system in combat since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
American officials declined to say how many F-22s deployed or the number of airmen supporting the aircraft, citing “operational security”. However, they identified the unit involved as the 1st Fighter Wing, located at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.
“The Raptors’ presence will bolster already strong partner nation defenses and puts destabilizing forces on notice that the U.S. and our partners are committed to enabling peace and stability in the region,” Lt. Gen. Greg Guillot, the commander of the U.S. Air Force’s Mideast command, said in a statement.
The deployment comes after the Yemeni Army launched three attacks targeting Abu Dhabi last month, including one targeting a fuel depot that killed three people and wounded six. The attacks coincided with visits by presidents from South Korea and the Zionist regime to the country.
Though overshadowed by the Ukraine crisis, the retaliatory missile fire targeting the Emirates has caused apprehension for the Emirates and its allies, including the U.S. The American military has sent the USS Cole on a mission to Abu Dhabi.
Yemen’s attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been followed by heavy bombings of Yemeni cities, especially Sana’a, by the Saudi-led coalition.
The U.S. administration has recently approved a possible $65mn sale of spare parts for those missile systems to the UAE.