UAE To Buy Israel Air Defense Tech In First Deal! How Did The Deal Occur?

After forging ties in 2020, the two nations are all set to sign a major deal regarding the advanced air defense system that Israel will sell to the United Arab Emirates. 

Furthermore, this deal will now prove to the Arab states that the Israel-Palestinian conflict is no longer in the talks between the two nations. Hence, they are now prioritizing the matters such as the security and economy of both countries. 

Moreover, this deal is more than a friendly deal as both the nations, Israel and U.S.-allied UAE, have the same fear that their rival Iran is well equipped with a nuclear weapon. 

And after this, Israel accepted the request of UAE in the middle of the summer, and hence the Rafael-made SPYDER mobile interceptor will now be supplied to the Gulf state, which can be a game changer for both countries.

 However, both parties haven’t shared further details as they are looking to keep it private because of security issues. 

How Did The Deal Between UAE And Israel Pan Out? 

The deal between UAE and Israel might seem shocking to all the other nations. However, a third party has revealed that the UAE captured the Israeli technology, and this technology was able to combat drone attacks. The same drone attacks happened in Abu Dhabi last year; since then, UAE has been keeping a close eye on these drones. 

However, in response to the attacks, SPYDER manufacturer Rafael and Israel’s defense ministry stayed away from the matter, and UAE kept themselves out of the matter. 

With it, even the parts and the interceptors used in the drones were also unclear. Furthermore, the drone range was also unavailable to the UAE, and hence they did not have much idea about the attack. 

Apart from all this, the working of the regional defense alliance was later revealed by Haaretz along with Defense Minister Benny Gantz and other politicians. They were constantly talking about it in their rallies and meetings. They even named it MEAD (Middle East Air Defense). 

These attacks have been a matter of concern for the USA. Hence, the United States Central Command has formed a central forward base in Qatar to provide a defensive umbrella to the Middle East and Central Asia nations. 

Regarding this, Israel has been a major part of CENTCOM’s region. This region has been constantly in touch with the U.S for major air defense against their allies. Hence, a joint operation is being carried out, which heavily relies on the sensors and other interception systems. 

Furthermore, Israel was even asked about providing air defense systems to the UAE. But they answered that it was a cooperation between the nations and hence diverted the topic. Apart from it, the reports claimed that UAE was affected badly after the series of drone attacks, so it was essential for the nation to increase its air defense capabilities.

 During the drone attacks, UAE suffered much damage as three civilians were killed. Also, the Drone Attacks affected an under-construction terminal at the Abu-Dhabi Airport, and many workers working there were badly injured. 

Currently, Israel has been signing major deals with other countries. Earlier in 2020, they managed to sign a deal with Bahrain, and now they are tying up with UAE, which is a positive sign for the nation.