Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE. (Google Earth/Screenshot) (Google Earth/Screenshot)
Al Dhafra Air Base

Israeli air defense and radar systems deployed at the Al Dhafra Air Base.

By Pesach Benson, United with Israel

The United Arab Emirates has deployed Israeli air defenses south of Abu Dhabi to bolster capabilities against Iranian missiles and drones, according to an analysis of satellite images published by the Tactical Report website on Friday.

The satellite images showed what Tactical report said were two Barak 8 launchers and an Elta ELM 2084 radar system deployed at the Al Dhafra Air Base. In addition to the serving the UAE Air Force, Al Dhafra also hosts the United States Air Force’s 380th Air Expeditionary Wing.

The Barak 8 system was jointly developed by Israel and India to defend against jets, helicopters, drones and even missiles. A naval version has already been deployed on the Israeli Navy’s Saar 5 corvettes and several Indian Navy destroyers. Azerbaijan and Morocco have also purchased the system.

The Barak was the system that downed two of three Hezbollah drones launched at the Karish gas field in June. The incident was Barak 8’s first operational use. A third drone was shot down by an Israeli Air Force jet.

The ELM 2084 radar system was developed by ELTA, a division of Israel Aerospace Industries.

The UAE was struck by missiles and Iranian-made drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the beginning of 2022. One attack occurred during a visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog in January.

Russia has used Iranian-made kamikaze drones in destructive barrages on Ukraine, particularly infrastructure. Israel is concerned similar barrages launched by Hezbollah or other Iran-backed militias could target the Jewish state’s electricity grid, ports, bridges and other infrastructure.

The Tactical Report assessment comes on the heels of reports in September that Israel had also sold to the UAE an advanced short-to-medium range Spyder air defense system.

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