The Raptors landed at Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi which hosts some 2,000 U.S. troops
U.S. F-22 fighter jets arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday to help defend the country against Houthi terrorist strikes.
This deployment has been announced part of an American defense response to recent missile attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeting the country’s capital. The Raptors landed at Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, which hosts some 2,000 U.S. troops.
American soldiers in UAE launched Patriot interceptor missiles in response to the Houthi attacks last month.
The F-22 deployment to the Middle East was announced a few days ago by General Kenneth F. McKenzie, commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM). He said the squadron of F-22 fighter jets “will work with their UAE partners to help defend the nation” in a time of crisis.
“Even as the UAE has come under attack, the US has moved quickly and swiftly to help an old friend. We brought a destroyer in a guided-missile destroyer, the USS Cole, which has ballistic missile defence capabilities. It will patrol the waters of the UAE, working closely with UAE air defenders to protect their nation.”
McKenzie said the United States is working with the UAE and other regional and global partners to develop more effective solutions to stop drone attacks, even before they are launched,” General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Commander of @CENTCOM, tells WAM in an exclusive interview
In his interview with Emirates News Agency (WAM), McKenzie said, “we would like to work against drones what we call ‘Left of Launch’ before they can be launched” and detect the launch, see them and interfere with their flights. “And if you can’t do that, you will certainly be able to shoot them down as they reach their intended target,” he added.
The F-22 Raptor is the U.S. Air Force’s latest fighter aircraft which features combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics, representing an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century Air Force.
