UAE resorts to the US to face Yemeni missiles, drones
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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin informs the UAE of Washington's intention to deploy fifth-generation combat aircraft against Yemeni operations.
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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Following retaliatory missile strikes on the Gulf state by Yemen's Armed Forces, including a foiled attack on a facility hosting US personnel, the US announced it will send fighter jets to support the UAE.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also told Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a phone call on Tuesday that Washington would send the guided-missile destroyer the USS Cole to partner with the UAE Navy ahead of a port call in Abu Dhabi.
"The Secretary also informed the Crown Prince of his decision to deploy 5th Generation Fighter aircraft to assist the UAE against the current threat and as a clear signal that the United States stands with the UAE as a long-standing strategic partner," the US Defense Department said in a release.
Read more: US Arms in Saudi's Pool of Blood: The Yemeni Massacre
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced on Monday that Yemen's Armed Forces executed Operation Yemen Hurricane III, which targeted the UAE.
Saree said that a number of important targets were struck in Abu Dhabi using Zulfiqar ballistic missile, and other key targets were also struck in Abu Dhabi using Samad-3 drones.
A week earlier, the US military said it had fired multiple Patriot missile interceptors at two inbound missiles which the Yemeni Armed Forces said they fired at the UAE's Al-Dhafra Airbase.
The Emirati envoy to the United Nations last week said the UAE may upgrade its military capabilities and was in discussions with the United States.
The attacks of the UAE on Yemen prompted targeting the region's commercial and tourism hub in response.
