Ten number-crunching facts about the UAE’s Defense system

Abu Dhabi just hosted a two day conference on missile and air defense, and according to reports, defense experts and military officials said that the Gulf states are under threat from possible missile attacks, and must protect themselves.

Is the UAE equipped to protect itself? How much do you know about the country’s defense facilities? Here are ten interesting facts about the UAE’s defense capabilities and plans:

1. In the last three months, the US Congress has approved two requests to sell the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) system to the UAE Armed Forces for nearly $9 billion, along with the more advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), for nearly US$7 billion.

2. The UAE is the only country outside the US that has been permitted to buy THAAD, which is expected to be operational by 2010.

3. 1,162 general-purpose bombs, 900 air-to-ground missiles, 200 satellite-controlled bomb guidance units, a Patriot missile defense system and 63 Mirage fighter jets… These are a few of the military gadgets the UAE has been trying to buy over the last year, says Trends magazine.

4. According to the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, a Dubai-based think tank, Abu Dhabi spent $10 billion from the country’s national defense budget last year. The UAE was the second-largest military spender in the Gulf region, behind Saudi Arabia’s $33 billion.

5. The UAE’s armed forces are currently estimated to own 20,000 army vehicles. In 2000, the country had 1,523 armored vehicles, 12 combat vessels and 124 combat aircraft.

6. The UAE spent $6 billion on new arms between 1987 and 1994.

7. According to Jane’s, an intelligence service provider, the UAE comes tenth in the top 20 defense markets by forecast budget growth. In 2008, the country is estimated to have spent $6.24 billion on defense, and the sector is expected to see an annual growth rate of 6.7 percent between 2008 and 2010.

8. When the UAE became independent on 2 December 1971, the UAE Defense Forces consisted of approximately 1600 well trained men.

9. In 2007, the UAE announced plans to build the $73 million Al Burkan Munitions Factory. It will be located in the Zayed Military City in Abu Dhabi, and the facility will manufacture, load, test and assemble various types of weapons, including aircraft bombs, artillery, naval rounds and small arms ammunitions.

10. The factory will start production of aircraft bombs in mid 2009, and land and navy forces ammunitions in early 2010. Full capacity production is expected in three years. It will also reportedly have a demilitarization plant for environmentally friendly explosive and ammunitions disposal.