[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] UAE Officer Dispatched to Our Navy

Two Field Grade Officers Conduct Joint Research on Tactical Doctrine
Assigned to Gyeryong Headquarters Power Analysis Test Evaluation Unit from May

Naval officers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are coming to Korea. They will work alongside our navy and jointly conduct research on tactical doctrines. This is the first time the UAE Navy is visiting Korea for tactical doctrine purposes.

According to the military on the 7th, two UAE field-grade officers are scheduled to work for about a month starting in May at the Doctrine Development Division of the Power Analysis, Testing, and Evaluation Group at the Gyeryong Headquarters.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The UAE Navy's interest in our naval tactics stems from the prolonged Yemeni civil war, the Houthi rebel conflict, and the geopolitical and religious tensions with neighboring countries Saudi Arabia and Iran, which threaten the security situation. In particular, as they are considering countermeasures against the Houthi rebels' anti-ship missile attacks, they cannot help but closely observe our military's tactics.

The UAE side has highly evaluated the Ark Unit, which has been deployed since 2011. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, UAE, who requested the deployment of the Ark Unit, described it as "a cornerstone that has elevated Korea-UAE cooperation." The Ark Unit was dispatched at the UAE's request for military training cooperation and has been receiving special warfare techniques from our troops, including naval special warfare commandos (UDT/SEAL).

Exchanges between the UAE Navy and our navy are also expected to aid in the export of ‘K-Defense’ products. The UAE ranks 9th among global arms importers over the past five years on average, indicating a continuous increase in weapons demand. Recently, they have been improving their past defense industry policy, which relied on overseas purchases, showing interest in joint production and technology transfer with foreign companies rather than simply importing finished products.

At recent exhibitions, discussions were held with the UAE side not only on a joint development project for multipurpose transport aircraft but also on the procurement of firearms and ammunition. Additionally, the UAE authorities have shown strong interest in the multiple rocket launcher ‘Cheonmu’ and the ‘Hyeongung’ anti-tank missile, and a decision on their acquisition is expected soon.

A government official said, “The UAE side has shown interest in patrol ships and mine countermeasure vessels, and with projections that the UAE’s acquisition scale will reach about 73 billion dollars over the next 10 years, exchanges are expected to become more active.”