Page 33 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

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Iran – UAE’s

biggest threat?

Iran is still seen by many as the biggest future.” The system will undoubtedly call
threat to Middle East peace. That was upon the GlobalEye when the first example
the message from leading UAEAF&AD is delivered in April. The converted Global
officers and the USAF Chief of Air Staff, 6000 jet will eventually work alongside
Gen David Goldfein, at the ninth Dubai the two mysterious Project Dolphin Global
Above: Saudi’s Intra Defence has acquired rights to build and sell the Turkish International Air Chiefs Conference (DIAC) 6000s radically upgraded with QinetiQ’s
Vestel Karayel ISR UCAV to 90 countries including in the Middle East and North on November 16, 2019. While militant AS-5 electronic surveillance system by
Africa. The UCAV has had its wingspan increased from 10m to 13m to increase its
endurance and is likely to operate in Yemen. Left: A USAF F-35A was put through groups such as so-called Islamic State the UK’s Marshall Aerospace and Defence

its paces at the Dubai Airshow, but a UAE order seems a long way o . Waqas Shah and al-Qaeda remain a menace, Iran is Group. One has already been delivered
Below: Calidus received a major boost when the UAEAF&AD revealed it was set to considered a much bigger problem. and the other is set to follow soon.
acquire 24 of its B-250 trainer/light attack aircraft, seen here in mock-up form.
Maj Gen (ret.) Khaled Al Bu Ainnan Gen Goldfein told his audience that
Al Mazrouel, former commander of the reaction time from an Iranian missile
UAEAF&AD, told the DIAC audience: attack to the northernmost point in the
“When the Iranians attacked Saudi Arabian Gulf is less than ten minutes and
Arabia, they showed how deadly a mix stressed: “No one country has everything
of drones and cruise missiles can be. it needs to prevent this. But together we
These cruise missiles can travel over have exactly what we need for collective
1,000km and with a 5-9kg warhead are defence. If an attack is under way, the
a serious threat. To combat them we best shot for the UAE may not be from the
need to change the entire structure of UAE, it may be from Qatar. If that threat
our command and control – to shift to is a drone at low level, it could enter
IP-based systems and artificial intelligence. your neighbour’s airspace, so a common
That’s the reason we have formed our operational picture is a must if you are
own Ministry of Artificial Intelligence.” to intercept in single-digit minutes.”
Meanwhile, Gen Goldfein was outspoken The USAF chief seemed to be calling for
in his criticism of Tehran: “The region is Qatar and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation
EDGE systems producers (including once again threatened by a country that Council countries to resolve their
With the UAE trying to establish AMMROC and Global Aerospace does not respect the sovereign borders differences, militarily at least, and work
a more sustainable future by Logistics), plus electronic of its neighbours. Iran is the number one together for the common good. He went
diversifying from its reliance warfare/intelligence, cyber sponsor of state-on-state terrorism in on to discuss ‘multi-domain ops’ and how,
on oil and gas, the government defence and mission support. the region.” He then issued a warning: a few months ago, the US military brought
has now turned its focus to the Faisal Al Bannai, who has been “I am confident that if we go to war

defence industry. On November 5, appointed chief executive, said against a peer nation this year, we have “I am confident that if we
in a showcase ceremony in Abu at the event that there will be a what it takes to fight them and to win.” go to war against a peer
Dhabi, EDGE – which describes “priority on national security”, while To quell possible Iranian attacks, the nation this year, we have
itself as an “advanced technology wanting to work with international UAEAF&AD commander, Major General

conglomerate” – was unveiled. partners and engage in the export Staff Pilot Ibrahim Naser Al Alawai, and what it takes to fight
It brings together over 25 of the market. Again, the subject of Iran deputy commander, Major General Staff them and to win.”
country’s leading defence players, cropped up. Bannai spoke about Pilot Rashid Mohammed Al Shamsi, agreed
including missiles and weapons the attacks on Aramco oil facilities that artificial intelligence (AI) would play a together a network of space, ISR, naval and
manufacturers (Al Tariq and in Saudi Arabia last September major role. The commander said: “We need command-and-control assets that were
Halcon Systems), platforms and and commented: “These simple next-generation technologies for today’s not previously connected. He described the
wars and [to] integrate these new methods result as “meshed networks, with common
into our current platforms, operations and digital architecture [and] equal access
procedures as well as our allies’ platforms, to both data and artificial intelligence.”
to ensure future coalitions work.” When Goldfein explained how an enemy
His deputy, Al Shamsi, gave more insight vessel was put into the scenario, one could
on their thinking: “Artificial intelligence begin to piece together what UAEAF&AD
is set to play a major role in how the UAE commanders might attempt to do with
counters enemy threats. ISR [intelligence, their new airborne AI concept. Goldfein
surveillance and reconnaissance] no said: “First, the space asset [in the UAE
longer plays a support role, it is a critical it would be a Falcon Eye satellite] would
part of the battlefield.” He also offered a locate the enemy vessel using its sensors,
word of caution: “We have to solve the but unable to complete the identification or
gap of using second-generation networks generate target-quality co-ordinates, cue
like Link 16 alongside the more modern the location to the ISR asset [GlobalEye] to
fourth-generation platforms. We need to get close enough to get full and accurate ID
support all the fighters with knowledge and target-quality locations. These [would
that can be ‘pushed and pulled’ to any then be] passed through a command-and-
air operators and platforms. On-demand control asset [Project Dolphin] that had
information should be available for all.” a database loaded with various effects
As part of the new Ministry of Artificial – kinetic and non-kinetic – based on the
Intelligence, Al Shamsi revealed that a new commander’s intents. A naval destroyer
AI programme will be launched “in the near [would be] selected to execute the strike.”

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