UAE: US Army 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment Exercise 2012 [Updated]

As tensions increase within the strait, Charlie Battery, Third Battalion of the Fourth Air Defense Artillery Regiment, responsible for air defense around Al Dhafra AB, conducted their first mobility training exercise in the AOR on 23 January 2012. In doing so, the battalion relocated the PATRIOT air defense assets from the tactical position near the airfield (at 24.226979 N 54.575444 E) to an unknown decentralized location, probably further North. This exercise was executing as the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transited the strait and may have provided additional coverage against potential aerial targets directed at the carrier. The USS Abraham Lincoln follows the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) who traversed the strait in early January and is last reported to be docked at the Jebel Ali port, UAE.

According to satellite imagery, there are currently two battalion of PATRIOT missiles deployed around the air base which suggests the US deployments were not left without high altitude air defense coverage during the exercise.

Data retrieved from Sean O' Conner's SAM crowd sourcing project; deployed equipment on imagery additionally verified  by OSGEOINT.

The UAE currently has 9 x MIM-23 HAWK and 2 x MIM-104 PATRIOT missile deployments based primarily around the large population centers of the country. The UAE's typical HAWK deployment includes 3 x three round I-HAWK M192 missile launcher representing 9 possible missile engagements for each orange range ring totaling 27 missile engagements. The HAWK provides point defense coverage as a low-to-medium-altitude surface to air missile system. For high altitude coverage, the PATRIOT deployment consists of 4 x four round M901 launcher for each battalion providing 32 missile engagements for the one red range ring. (Note: only one red range ring is present as both battalions are deployed together.)

According to Jane's, the US rolled out the PATRIOT/HAWK interoperability software package in the Patriot Post Deployment Build-2 (PDB-2) which allows for greater coordination between the two systems.  The PDB-2 software gives air defense commanders the ability to organize HAWK and PATRIOT fire units under the control of the Patriot Information Co-ordination Central. Subsequent releases of the software have increasingly automated  HAWK related tasks of target identification, threat assessment, and target assignments. With the majority of the UAE's current HAWK deployments around Abu Dhabi, it's highly likely the Emirate is almost entirely dependent upon the US for its IADS command and control. That type of control over a countries defenses, may suggest the UAE has become increasingly dependent upon the US for air defense. (We won't even mention the fact that most defense contractors, trainers, and advisers, spread throughout "Zayed military city" are from or have some connection to the US).

Bottom Line: As tensions increase in the strait, the US is making preparations to deal with any perceived threat from Iran. This exercise was executed during the same time period the USS Abraham Lincoln passed through the strait, serving as an example of potential US measures to defend ships operating in the area.

Charlie battery is responsible for protecting the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing at Al Dhafra whose mission includes air-to-air refueling and high altitude reconnaissance for CENTCOM's Afghan theater of operations and AFRICOM's Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa deployment. The 380th operates the following platforms: the RQ-4A/B GLOBAL HAWK, the U-2 DRAGON LADY, the E-3 SENTRY, and the KC-10 EXTENDER.

Additional Slides

Video Reference:

Additional References

1) Jane's (2006) Land Based Air Defence 2006-2007

2) NPR (26 December 2008) UAE Buys Patriot Missiles Defense

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98718816