(Washington Insider Magazine) – ABU DHABI (Transatlantic Today) – Six US F-22 fighter planes landed in Abu Dhabi on Saturday after being transferred from a US Air Force installation in Virginia as part of US assistance for the UAE against Houthi militants’ recent missile attacks in Yemen.
According to KHALEEJ TIMES, the six Raptor planes arrived at Al-Dhafra Airbase, which houses around 2,000 US personnel.
After a number of strikes that targeted the US and Emirati military forces throughout January, the US Air Forces Central said in a statement that this should be seen as part of a multidimensional display of US support for the UAE.
The number of F-22s installed or the number of airmen supporting the planes was not disclosed by American officials, but images supplied by the US Air Forces Central displayed 6 aircraft from the 1st Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia.
The deployment of Raptors, according to Lt. Gen. Greg Guillot, head of the US Air Force’s Mideast command, would bolster already robust partner nation defenses and send a message to disruptive forces that the US and its allies are committed to ensuring peace and stability in the area.
“Through the vital support of the 192d Wing and the 633rd Air Base Wing, we were able to get the 27th Fighter Squadron out the door on short-notice. Our Raptors are modernized highly-capable fighters, operated by the finest Airmen, and they bring decisive airpower wherever they go,” said Col. William Creeden, commander of the 1st Fighter Wing.
The jets are claimed to have landed via Spain’s Moron Air Facility, which is home to a permanent US base and has previously been utilized for US activities in the Middle East and North Africa.
The US Navy has also dispatched the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole to work with the UAE Navy, according to a statement from the US Navy. The warship is now stationed in Abu Dhabi “and will continue to provide early warning intelligence and collaborate on air defense,” according to the statement.
All of these collective initiatives, according to the statement, serve as a strong signal of the United States’ strategic partnership with the United Arab Emirates.
