Reuters reported today that the US is on the verge of striking a $7 billion missile deal with the UAE, pending Congress's approval. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is believed to be sought by the UAE in order to prepare for a potential Iranian missile attack that may come in retaliation to a US or Israeli strike. It is the first missile system designed to counter both short and long-range ballistic missiles in and out of the earth's atmosphere. Lockhead Martin and Raytheon are the two primary entities behind THAAD.
Al Jazeera.net also picked up on the report which has elicited a significant number of responses from its Arabic-speaking audience.
Some support the UAE's decision to pursue this level of defense, citing the state's right to defend itself against a seemingly formidable enemy just miles away on the other side of the Persian Gulf. Others disagree, stating that Iran is not a strategic threat, and such an expensive arms package will only benefit the companies providing the weapons as well as the US and Israel's strategic interests. One respondent interestingly suggests that the US is merely following the lead of the British and French who reportedly struck multi-billion dollar arms deals with the UAE in 1996.
In fact, news of this potential deal comes months after France announced that it would be establishing a naval base in Abu Dhabi (the largest and wealthiest of the emirates) following years in which it has solidified two $3.4 billion deals supplying the UAE with tanks and aircraft. Thus, the US is not the only country interested in enhancing the UAE's defense capacity and cultivating/maintaining a strategic presence in the Gulf. Given its location near the Strait of Hormuz, it's no wonder why many are eager to do so.
One should note that the animosity between Abu Dhabi and Tehran predates the latter's pursuit of nuclear weapons. The UAE and Iran have long been at odds over disputed island territories in the Persian Gulf (pictured above). Tensions have, however, escalated in recent weeks over Abu Musa after Iran established offices on the island. Iran has also recently test-fired long-range ballistic missiles reportedly capable of hitting Israel.
So while it may be months before the THAAD deal gets the green light and materializes, the necessity of military power has long been a concern for the UAE. Overall, these circumstances, and the history of international arms deals to the UAE, suggest that the THAAD system would be a natural progression for the Emirates as Iran is perceived to be increasingly hostile and capable. However, whether or not such a deal will be to the strategic benefit of the UAE remains long to be answered.
