(1) on the day of the unification of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates in May 1976. A contract worth $1.96 billion was agreed for Lockheed Martin Corp to supply two Thaad anti-missile batteries. Visit UAE Armed Forces, GHQ, one of the premium exhibitor stands at Careers UAE in 2020! The Union Defence Force was established officially as the military of the United Arab Emirates on 27 December 1971 from a directive issued by the UAE's founding father and first president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It has also taken care to invest in the systems it has purchased and standardise them according to NATO/GCC Specifications. [7] The UAE Armed Forces also participated in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon and Somalia. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external and internal aggression, the terms "armed forces" and "military" are often treated synonymously, although in technical usage a distinction is sometimes made in which a country's armed forces may include both its military and other paramilitary forces. UAE requested training support be provide by the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC). However, the purchaser typically requests offsets. The UAE sent forces to assist Kuwait during the 1990–1991 Gulf War where several hundred UAE troops participated in the conflict as part of the GCC Peninsula Shield force that advanced into Kuwait City. Includes auxiliaries. The UAE has been, and continues to be, a vital U.S. partner for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. Rosomak APC For The UAE. The main role of the Armed Forces is defending the nation and contributing to maintaining global peace. [1] The UAE has since deployed an entire armoured brigade to Yemen. Owner of this site is not responsible for potential mistakes or lacks of data. [40], United Arab Emirates F-16 Block 60 taking off after taxiing out of the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, TX (NAS Fort Worth JRB), Several Emirati Air Force Mirage 2000s over Afghanistan in 2008, A United Arab Emirates Navy Super Puma helicopter. 100 000. The Union Defence Force were used on two occasions in Sharjah. More nationals are being trained to fill these ranks, with programmes such as the Technical Trainee Project underway to try to fill the technical jobs in the country. [4], Prior to the union of the emirates, different tribal confederations formed the de facto military force which was dominant in the area now known as the United Arab Emirates. In February 1973 following a brief border war between armed Bedouin tribesmen from both Sharjah Emirate and Fujairah Emirate over a disputed area of land which covered a quarter of an acre and included water wells and date palm trees.