Military history of the United Arab Emirates

Last updated

The military history of the United Arab Emirates describes the military history of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Prior to the union of the emirates, different tribal confederations formed the de facto military force which was dominant in the area now known as the United Arab Emirates. The Bani Yas and Al Qawasim were the most significant of those tribal confederations. The official formation of the military began with the formation of the Truical Oman Levies by the British Empire on 11 May 1951 as the area was under a British protectorate.

Contents

The Trucial Oman Levies, later renamed the Trucial Oman Scouts, were for a long time the symbol of public order in eastern Arabia and was commanded by British officers. The force was turned over to the United Arab Emirates as its defense forces when the British residency in the Persian gulf ended and the United Arab Emirates formed in 1971. Prior to the unification of the armed forces, each emirate of the United Arab Emirates was responsible for its own defence. Three major defence forces were formed: the Abu Dhabi Defence Force, Dubai Defence Force, and Ras Al Khaimah Mobile Force. The three later united to form the Federal Defence Force on 6 May 1976 and hence, the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.

The UAE's armed forces have engaged in numerous conflicts and war zones since their inception. The UAE Armed Forces were deployed in the Gulf War, Kosovo War, United Nations Operation in Somalia II, War in Afghanistan, enforcing UNSC Resolution 1973 in the 2011 Libyan Civil War, 2014 military intervention against ISIS in Syria, and the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen.

Bani Yas and Qawasim

Prior to the union of the emirates, different tribal confederations formed the de facto military force which was dominant in the area now known as the United Arab Emirates. The Bani Yas and Al Qawasim were the most significant of those tribal confederations. The Al Qawasim were a major maritime force in the region, which prompted the British Royal Navy to organize several campaigns, such as Persian Gulf campaign of 1809 and Persian Gulf campaign of 1819 and the deployment of ground forces in Ras Al Khaimah to control the trade routes the Al Qawasim dominated. With the signing of the 1820 General Maritime Treaty between the British and the tribal sheikhs and the commencement of the British Residency of the Persian Gulf, the British Empire with the assistance of Sheikh Khalid III bin Muhammad al-Qasimi endeavored to form a unified paramilitary force based in Sharjah to suppress the slave trade and prevent tribal conflicts. The paramilitary force was named the Trucial Oman Levies. [1]

Trucial Oman Scouts

The current United Arab Emirates military was formed from the historical Trucial Oman Levies which was established on 11 May 1951. The Trucial Oman Levies, which were renamed the Trucial Oman Scouts in 1956, were a locally raised, British commanded force long considered a symbol of public order in Eastern Arabia.

The duties of the TOL as of 1951 were to (1) maintain peace and good order on the Trucial States; (2) prevent or suppress any traffic of slaves (but not slavery itself as this was considered an 'internal affair' by the British); and (3) provide an escort for any British political representative traveling in the Trucial States. Their duties were later expanded to include helping maintain law and order and preventing internal tribal conflicts from interfering with the work of oil companies seeking to explore for oil under concessions agreed with the Rulers. The Rulers of the Trucial States were not consulted regarding the formation or establishment of the force and only the Ruler of Sharjah, who rented out the base to be used by the Levies on a 10-year lease, was informed of their establishment. [2]

The Trucial Oman Scouts were turned over to the United Arab Emirates as the nucleus of its defense forces in 1971 with the formation of the UAE and were absorbed into the newly formed united military called the Union Defence Force (UDF). The Union Defence Force was established officially as the military of the United Arab Emirates on 27 December 1971 from a directive issued by the UAE's founding father and first president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. [3]

Union Defence Force and unification

As the Union Defence Force, every emirate was responsible for the equipment and training of its own defence forces. In the event of an attack on any one of the seven emirates, the Union Defence Force would be mobilized from every emirate to defend the attacked emirate. In 1974 the name was changed to the Federal Armed Forces. On 6 May 1976, the Federal Armed Forces were unified as a single body. This was considered a historic event and a large milestone in the military of the United Arab Emirates. May 6 is celebrated annually as the Military Union Day. As a result of the union of forces, the number of personnel formed a brigade and was referred to as the Yarmouk Brigade. [3]

After the union of the armed forces in 1976, the Yarmouk Brigade was officially renamed the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. The three largest emirates defence forces which originally formed the Federal Armed Forces, Abu Dhabi Defence Force, Dubai Defence Force, and Ras Al Khaimah Mobile Force, were converted into three major military bases/zones for the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. In 1976 the official UAE Armed Forces insignia, uniform, military academies, army, air force, and naval force were established and the military General Headquarters (GHQ) was formed in the capital Abu Dhabi. [3]

Although initially small in number, the UAE armed forces have grown significantly over the years and are presently equipped with some of the most modern weapon systems, purchased from a variety of outside countries, mainly France, the US and the UK. Most officers are graduates of the United Kingdom's Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, with others having attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and St Cyr, the military academy of France.

Commemoration day

The date of the first death in the line of duty of an Emirati soldier was on 30 November 1971 during the Seizure of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs as is celebrated annually as the Commemoration Day. The highest loss of life in the history of the UAE military occurred on Friday 4 September 2015, in which 52 soldiers were killed in Marib area of central Yemen by a Tochka missile which targeted a weapons cache and caused a large explosion. [4] All the names of Emirati soldiers who died in the line of duty are inscribed in the UAE Armed Forces memorial, the Oasis of Dignity, in the capital Abu Dhabi.

Deployments

A UAE Armed Forces Special Ops soldier assigned to Special Operations Task Force-West, patrols villages in Afghanistan on 7 April 2011. 110407-A-HM954-005 (5617028210).jpg
A UAE Armed Forces Special Ops soldier assigned to Special Operations Task Force-West, patrols villages in Afghanistan on 7 April 2011.

The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces participated in multiple conflicts, mostly in the Middle East. From 1977 to 1979 the UAE Army contributed 750 men to the Arab Deterrent Force peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. [5] During 1990–1991, the Armed Forces participated in the first Gulf War. 10 Emirati soldiers lost their lives in liberating Kuwait. [6] The UAE Armed Forces were also deployed in Eastern Europe and joined NATO's Kosovo Force peacekeeping mission undertaking aid missions to thousands of fleeing refugees on the Albanian border. This was the first time Emirati troops uniform was switched to the woodland camouflage compared to their regular home desert camouflage. [7] The UAE Armed Forces also participated in the peacekeeping mission in Somalia from 1993 to 1994. The UAE Armed Forces is also the only Arab country to commit troops to maintain security and participate in humanitarian aid missions to Afghanistan. The Emirati special Forces, the Presidential Guards, were deployed to maintain security in War in Afghanistan against the Taliban. In March 2011, the UAE joined the enforcement of the no-fly-zone over Libya by sending six F-16 and six Mirage 2000 multi-role fighter aircraft [8] and in 2015 the UAE joined the Saudi-led coalition intervention in Yemen by sending 30 UAEAF F16 Desert Falcons to Yemen. The intervention was followed by Emirati ground troops deployment in Southern Yemen mainly focusing on targeting terrorist cells such as the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the Islamic State.

Conscription

The UAE introduced a mandatory military conscription for adult males in 2014. The national service duration is for 11 months and is intended to bolster the United Arab Emirates military reserve force. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the United Arab Emirates</span> Aspect of history

The United Arab Emirates is a country in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula located on the southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf and the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Oman. The UAE consists of seven emirates and was founded on 2 December 1971 as a federation, after UK armed forces left the region. Six of the seven emirates declared their union on 2 December 1971. The seventh, Ras al Khaimah, joined the federation on 10 February 1972. The seven sheikdoms were formerly known as the Trucial States, in reference to the truce treaties established with the British in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Arab Emirates Armed Forces</span> Military of the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates. Despite their relatively small size, they have earned a reputation for their active and effective military role. In fact, they have earned the nickname "Little Sparta" by General James Mattis, a former United States Armed Forces General and Secretary of Defense, acknowledging their prowess and dedication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Arab Emirates</span> Country in West Asia

The United Arab Emirates, or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East. It is located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula and shares borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia, while also having maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran. Abu Dhabi is the nation's capital, while Dubai, the most populous city, is an international hub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of the United Arab Emirates</span> National flag

The national flag of the United Arab Emirates contains the Pan-Arab colors red, green, white, and black. It was designed in 1971 by Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah, who was 19 years old at that time, and was adopted on 2 December 1971. The main theme of the flag's four colors is the unity of Arab nations. In 2008, a minor change was made to the emblem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan</span> Sheikh of Abu Dhabi from 1855 to 1909

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, also known as Zayed the Great or Zayed the First was the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi from 1855 to his death in 1909. He was the grandfather and namesake of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, founder of the United Arab Emirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Arab Emirates Air Force</span> Aerial warfare branch of the United Arab Emirates military

The United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) (Arabic: القوات الجوية والدفاع الجوي الاماراتي, romanized: al-Quwwāt al-Jawiyah wa al-Defa' al-Jawiy al-ʾImārāty) is the air force of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), part of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Its predecessor was established in 1968, when the Emirates were still under British rule. Since then, it has undergone a continual reorganisation and expansion in terms of both capability and numbers of aircraft. Currently, the UAEAF has around 4,000 personnel and operates approximately 552 fixed wing and rotorcraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Arab Emirates Army</span> Military unit

The United Arab Emirates Army is the land force branch of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Arab Emirates Navy</span> Naval warfare branch of the United Arab Emirates military

The United Arab Emirates Navy is the naval branch of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. It is small force of about 3,000 personnel. It maintains 12 well-equipped coastal patrol boats and eight missile boats. Although primarily concerned with coastal defense, the Navy is constructing a six-unit class of blue water corvettes in conjunction with French shipbuilder CMN. The UAE maintains a small battalion-sized marine force called the UAE Marines equipped with BMP-3 armoured personnel carriers.

The Constitution of the United Arab Emirates provides a legal and political framework for the operation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a federation of seven emirates. The Constitution came into effect on 2 December 1971 and was permanently accepted in July 1996. Authored by Adi Bitar, a forming judge and legal advisor, the Constitution is written in 10 parts and has 152 Articles. The United Arab Emirates celebrates the formation of the Union as National Day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emiratis</span> Native Arab population of the United Arab Emirates

The Emiratis are the native Arab citizen population of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Within the UAE itself, they number approximately 1.15 million.

The Trucial Oman Scouts was a paramilitary force that the British raised in 1951 as the Trucial Oman Levies, to serve in the Trucial States. In 1956, the Levies were renamed the Trucial Oman Scouts. In 1971, upon the formation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the scouts were handed to the United Arab Emirate's government and formed its Federal Union Defence Force (UDF) which is today renamed as the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trucial States</span> British protectorate 1820–1971 in Persian Gulf, precursor to United Arab Emirates

The Trucial States, also known as the Trucial Coast, the Trucial Sheikhdoms, Trucial Arabia or Trucial Oman, was the name the British government gave to a group of tribal confederations to the south of the Persian Gulf whose leaders had signed protective treaties, or truces, with the United Kingdom between 1820 and 1892.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Arab Emirates–United Kingdom relations</span> Bilateral relations

The United Arab Emirates has an embassy in London while the United Kingdom maintains an embassy in Abu Dhabi and is unique in having another Embassy in Dubai, albeit with His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, as opposed to a separate British Ambassador. The UAE-UK relations have been described as a "special relationship".

Colonel Edward Bearby "Tug" Wilson was the founder and first commander of the Abu Dhabi Defence Force, the forerunner of the current UAE Armed Forces. He was a personal friend of Sheikh Zayed, with whom he shared interests in falconry and horseback riding, establishing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Royal Stables in 1974.

The Buraimi dispute or Buraimi war was a series of covert attempts by Saudi Arabia to influence the loyalties of tribes and communities in and around the oil-rich Buraimi oasis in the 1940s and 1950s, which culminated in an armed conflict between forces and tribes loyal to Saudi Arabia, on one side, and Oman and the Trucial States, on the other, which broke out as the result of a territorial dispute over the town of Al-Buraimi in Oman, and parts of what is now the city of Al Ain in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the UAE. It amounted to an attempted Saudi invasion of the Buraimi Oasis. Its roots lay in the partitioning of tribal areas and communities which took place in the Trucial States when oil companies were seeking concessions to explore the interior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saudi Arabia–United Arab Emirates border</span> International border

The Saudi Arabia–United Arab Emirates border is 457 km (284 mi) in length and runs from the Persian Gulf coast in the west to the tripoint with Oman in the east.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a relatively new country – it was formed in 1971. However, the history of the land that the UAE occupies dates back to the Neolithic Age, which is evidenced by inscriptions, drawings and archaeological finds uncovered in the seven emirates during the period from the early 1950s to the present day.

Scouts in the British Empire meant a locally raised standing paramilitary, not part of the British Army or British Indian Army, under the command of a local Chief or commissioner, but with attached British officers. Scouts were internal and border security units composed of locals, officered by British officers.

The political history of the United Arab Emirates covers political events and trends related to the history of the United Arab Emirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian F. Walker</span> British Arabist and diplomat (1929–2018)

Sir Julian Fortay WalkerCMGMBE, also known by his initials J. F. Walker, was a British Arabist, author, cartographer, land surveyor, former military officer and a retired diplomat who worked closely with Sheikh Rashid while serving as the last British representative to the Trucial States in Dubai for 11-months during the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971. He played an instrumental role in demarcating the present boundaries of the country's emirates as well as its borders with Oman during his capacity as an assistant political officer in the Trucial States and colonial Bahrain between the 1950s and 1960s.

References

  1. de Butts, Freddie (1995). Now the Dust Has Settled. Tabb House. ISBN   1873951132.
  2. Yates, Athol (2020). The Evolution of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates. Warwick: Helion and Company. p. 177. ISBN   9781912866007.
  3. 1 2 3 "توحيد القوات المسلحة أعظم قرارات دولة الاتحاد". Al Bayan. 1 January 2015.
  4. "UAE, Bahrain say 50 soldiers killed in Yemen attack". Reuters. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  5. Yates (2020). The Evolution of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates. p. 329.
  6. Yates (2020). The Evolution of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates by Athol Yates. 329.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. "Special Report: The day Emirati troops came to help war-torn Kosovo". The National. 29 July 2019.
  8. "Libya no-fly zone: Coalition firepower". BBC News. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
  9. "Ministry of Defence amends national service term". 5 December 2022.

Further reading