US F-22 fighter jets arrive in UAE following Houthi attacks
U.S. F-22 fighter jets have arrived at an air base in the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. Air Force said Saturday, following a series of attacks on Abu Dhabi by Houthi fighters from Yemen.
In the past few weeks, the Iran-allied Houthis have launched a series of largely unsuccessful strikes on Emirati targets that have resulted in Emirati and U.S. air defenses firing at them and even saw U.S. forces stationed there briefly shelter.
The planes arrived at an air base in the UAE as part of a “multifaceted” effort to show American support after a series of attacks in January threatened Emirati and US forces stationed at the airbase, a US Air Force statement said.
The statement added that the US Secretary of Defense ordered the rapid deployment of the fifth generation aircraft in coordination with Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who also serves as deputy supreme commander of the UAE forces.
The fifth generation fighter jets are highly maneuverable and can hide from radar and carry air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles.
Last week, the U.S. general overseeing Middle East operations said the United States would help the UAE renew the interceptor missiles it uses to shoot down enemy missiles.
The latest Houthi attacks highlighted the so far unsuccessful UN-led efforts to mediate an end to the war in Yemen since 2015 between the pro-Iranian Houthis and a Saudi-led military coalition with UAE participation.
At the beginning of the Houthi attacks on the UAE three weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the dispatch of advanced defense systems, including the guided missile destroyer USS Cole and a squadron of advanced F-22 fighters to the UAE to support them in the face of Houthi attacks.
The Houthis began attacking Emirati interests and positions on January 3, intercepting a UAE cargo ship off Hodeida governorate in western Yemen, and then attacking Abu Dhabi with marches and ballistic missiles on January 17 and 25.
The UAE is part of the military coalition in Yemen in support of the legitimate government against the Houthis. In 2019, it withdrew its troops from the impoverished country, but remains influential.
