Country profile · SD Strength Index
United Arab Emirates Military Strength 2026
Score by area
| Air power | 20 | |
| Missiles & strike | 6 | |
| Air & missile defence | 33 | |
| Sea power | 16 | |
| Land forces | 36 | |
| Manpower | 24 | |
| Budget & industry | 20 |
Armed forces in 2026
Key figures
As of 2026-10| Defence budget | 22–27.2 $bn | C |
| Share of GDP | 3.5–5.5 % | C |
| Active personnel | 60k–65k | C |
| Combat aircraft | 135–150 | C |
| Fifth-generation fighters | 0 | A |
| Attack helicopters | 28–30 | C |
| All military aircraft | 550 | C |
| Main battle tanks | 340–380 | C |
| Rocket artillery | 90 | C |
| Aircraft carriers | 0 | A |
| Destroyers | 0 | A |
| Frigates | 0–2 | C |
| Submarines | 0 | A |
| Longest missile range | 290–300 km | C |
| Long-range air-defence batteries | 11–14 | C |
| Nuclear warheads | 0 | A |
A confirmed B strong estimate C estimated range
Main equipment
| Equipment | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| F-16E/F Block 60 | 76–79 | B |
| Mirage 2000-9 / 2000-9 RAD | 50–66 | C |
| Rafale F4 | 0 | B |
| L-15A Falcon | 8–12 | C |
| AH-64D/E Apache | 28–30 | C |
| GlobalEye | 4–5 | B |
| A330 MRTT | 5 | A |
| C-17A | 8 | A |
| THAAD | 2 | A |
| Patriot PAC-3/GEM-T | 9–10 | C |
| Cheongung-II (KM-SAM Block II) | 2–3 | B |
| Barak (IAI) / SPYDER (Rafael) | 1–2 | C |
| Pantsir-S1 | 40–50 | C |
| Wing Loong I/II | 15–25 | C |
| Bayraktar Akinci / TB2 | 2–20 | C |
| Leclerc | 340–380 | C |
| Rabdan 8x8 | 400–700 | C |
| Gowind (Bani Yas-class) | 4 | B |
How strong is the UAE military?
Strong for its size. Regular strength is estimated at 60,000 to 65,000, a fraction of Saudi Arabia's. The defence budget is not published, and Silent Dossier puts it between $22bn and $27bn. That money goes on quality rather than numbers.
The air force flies 76 to 79 F-16E/F Block 60s and an estimated 50 to 66 Mirage 2000-9s. Four or five GlobalEye early warning jets, five A330 tankers and eight C-17s give it reach well beyond its size. The army fields an estimated 340 to 380 Leclerc tanks.
Did the UAE fight in the 2026 Iran war?
It took more Iranian fire than any other Gulf state. The defence ministry counted 137 ballistic missiles on the first day alone, 28 February 2026. By 2 April it reported engaging 457 ballistic missiles, 19 cruise missiles and 2,038 drones. It had stopped publishing the split between intercepts and impacts on 10 March.
That campaign drained interceptors. Silent Dossier estimates the prewar THAAD and Patriot stock at 600 to 1,000 rounds and judges that half or more of the PAC-3 stock was spent. Washington approved an emergency package of about $8.4bn in March. Korea airlifted about 30 Cheongung II interceptors that month and flew in a third battery in June, months ahead of schedule.
What air defences does the UAE have?
The Emirates were the first export customer for THAAD and hold two batteries. Below them sit an estimated nine or ten Patriot fire units, two to three Korean Cheongung II batteries out of ten ordered, Israeli Barak and SPYDER systems, and 40 to 50 Russian Pantsir short range units. That is five suppliers in one network, and in 2026 it faced more incoming fire than any other in the Gulf.
When will the UAE get the Rafale?
Eighty Rafale F4s were ordered in December 2021 for about $19bn. The first jet was accepted in France in January 2025, but none had reached the Emirates by October 2026, and the first handover is scheduled for the end of 2026. In February 2026 Abu Dhabi decided to keep its Mirages and postpone the transfer of 30 of them to Morocco. A Rafale F5 cooperation agreement with Paris was reported signed in October 2026, with UAE funding still unresolved.
Can the UAE build its own weapons?
More than any Gulf neighbour. EDGE Group makes guided bombs, loitering munitions, swarm drones, Rabdan armoured vehicles and naval vessels, and its Al Tariq bomb is being fitted to Turkish Akinci drones. A non-binding September 2026 term sheet with Hanwha could lead to joint production of air defence missiles. There is still no fighter or major missile production line, and the longest ranged ballistic missile in service reaches about 300 km.
Where does the UAE rank in the Middle East?
Behind Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran on the Silent Dossier index, and ahead of Qatar. Its record from Yemen and Libya to the 2026 missile war is deep for a force this small. Interceptor stocks are the exposure. They were partly refilled after the war, and a second campaign of that intensity would test them again.
Compare United Arab Emirates
Combat record and readiness
Fought ground and air operations in Yemen from 2015 to 2019 and intercepted Houthi missiles in 2022. It was the most targeted Gulf state in the 2026 Iran war, engaging 457 ballistic missiles, 19 cruise missiles and 2,038 drones by 2 April, the UAE says.
EDGE Group builds guided weapons, drones, loitering munitions, armoured vehicles and naval vessels. It is moving into air defence work with Hanwha, but the UAE has no fighter or major missile defence production line.
Maintenance relies heavily on foreign contractors. The 2026 missile defence campaign used up a large share of THAAD, Patriot and Cheongung-II interceptors, now being refilled through US emergency sales and Korean airlifts. F-16 Block 60s remain the backbone until Rafale F4s arrive, the first due at end-2026.
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Questions readers ask
How strong is the UAE military?
Strong for its size. An estimated 63,000 troops operate F-16 Block 60s, Mirage 2000-9s, THAAD and Patriot batteries and Leclerc tanks. It is far smaller than Saudi Arabia's force but has fought more recently.
Does the UAE have F-35s?
No. The UAE suspended F-35 talks in December 2021 and ordered 80 Rafale F4s instead, with the first handover scheduled for the end of 2026.
Is the UAE stronger than Saudi Arabia?
No. Saudi Arabia has about four times the troops, two to three times the budget and far more jets and tanks, and it ranks well ahead on the Silent Dossier index. The UAE has the stronger defence industry and more recent combat experience.
Who protects the UAE?
The UAE is a US Major Defence Partner and hosts US forces at Al Dhafra air base. France keeps a base in Abu Dhabi, and Egypt deployed Rafales to the UAE in May 2026 during the Iran war.
How many missiles did the UAE intercept in 2026?
By 2 April 2026 the UAE reported engaging 457 ballistic missiles, 19 cruise missiles and 2,038 drones fired from Iran. It stopped publishing how many were intercepted on 10 March.