General Frank McKenzie, the commander of US Central Command, told Archyde.com that the United States will help the UAE renew the interceptors it uses to shoot down incoming missiles after it was subjected to an unprecedented series of attacks by Houthi fighters in Yemen.
In the past few weeks, the Iran-aligned Houthis launched a series of strikes on Emirati targets that led to Emirati and US air defenses firing, and even saw US forces stationed there take cover for a short period.
“We will help refurbish the interceptors. We will do everything we can to help the UAE defend itself,” McKenzie, who oversees operations in the Middle East, said in an interview after a visit to Abu Dhabi this week.
McKenzie did not provide further details.
An informed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the UAE specifically requested the United States to renew the missile defense systems, including the THAAD and Patriot systems.
The latest US move will be added to the Pentagon’s announcement last week of the deployment of a guided-missile destroyer and advanced F-22 fighter jets to the UAE. This would represent a commitment to defense support amid strong opposition to the war in Yemen among many lawmakers in Congress due to civilian casualties.
The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and caused a severe humanitarian crisis.
The Houthi attacks highlighted the so far unsuccessful efforts led by the United Nations to end the war in Yemen, which has been witnessing since 2015 a war between the Houthis and a Saudi-led military coalition that includes the UAE.
McKenzie, who also expressed concern about the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, an ally, acknowledged that the United States suffers from limited American reconnaissance capabilities over Yemen, given the size of this country.
“We are very limited in terms of (ISR) reconnaissance capabilities over Yemen,” McKenzie said, referring to military intelligence and reconnaissance capabilities that include the use of drones.
“This is a big country and you have to make decisions according to priorities,” he said.
Experts say it may be difficult to help allies detect and destroy Houthi missile launch sites without adequate ISR capabilities, especially when dealing with mobile missile launchers.