UAE Air Force F-16 Destroy Houthi Ballistic Missile Launcher That Targeted Abu Dhabi

The Ministry Of Defence of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Joint Operations Command announces that at 04:10 hrs Yemen time an F-16 Block 60 “Desert Falcon” jet fighter destroyed a ballistic missile launcher in Yemen’s al-Jawf province, immediately after it launched two ballistic missiles at Abu Dhabi. There are many speculations that They were successfully intercepted by UAE Force Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD). They took out the midrange ballistic missile used to attack an Emirati oil facility near Al-Dhafra Air Base.

The attempted attack came one week after Houthis targeted Abu Dhabi with two drones, killing three people. One Pakistani and two Indian nationals were killed, and six others were injured ranging from light to medium, when the incident took place at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 17. It was a rare instance of attacks on UAE soil, often seen as a haven in a turbulent region. The UAE intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 as part of the Arab Coalition with Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)’s defenses also shot down a ballistic missile fired at Dhahran Al Janub. It added that shrapnel from the projectile fell over the industrial zone in Dhahran Al Janub. Some workshops and civilian vehicles were damaged in the attack. For more than six years, the Houthis have been battling a Saudi-led coalition that includes the UAE, repeatedly carrying out cross-border missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, launching an unprecedented assault on the UAE on January 17.

The United Arab Emirates Air Force ordered a total of 80 F-16E/F (dubbed the “Desert Falcon”) aircraft, becoming the first customer for this advanced version of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The UAEAF also acquired AIM-120 AMRAAM, AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-88 HARM, Laser Guided Bombs, and other sophisticated munitions for its F-16s. The UAE purchased USD 2 billion in sophisticated aircraft armament for its F-16s, including 491 AIM-120B AMRAAM Missiles, 267 AIM-9M Sidewinder, 163 AGM-88 Harm, 1,163 AGM-65D/G Maverick, 52 AGM-84 Harpoon, laser-guided bombs, 20mm ammunition, and other weaponry.