The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence has officially confirmed a massive aerial interception campaign. The nation reportedly neutralized 165 ballistic missiles and 541 drones launched toward its territory.
This disclosure highlights a dramatic expansion of regional hostilities, marking one of the most significant confrontations in the UAE’s history. Using a sophisticated multi-layered air defence network, the country successfully destroyed approximately 96% of incoming threats.
The attack was part of a series of strikes called ‘Operation True Promise,’ which has moved from small fights to a full-scale air war. New data shows the UAE spotted 137 missiles and 209 drones in just the latest wave of the attack. Its defence teams successfully hit 132 of those missiles and 195 of the drones before they could land. Some broken pieces fell on buildings. However, there were no casualties.
As reported by Emirates News Agency WAM, the UAE Ministry of Defence shared this official update: "The air force and air defence forces of the United Arab Emirates have successfully engaged and destroyed 137 ballistic missiles and 209 drones launched towards the country's territory."
While intercepting these attacks is a victory for the UAE, it is expensive. There is a massive gap between the price of the attack and the price of the defence. One Iranian Shahed-136 drone costs nearly AED 73,450 to AED 1,83,625. However, the UAE's defence missiles cost between AED 7.345 million and AED 14.690 million for every single attack.
This creates a major problem for the future. Financial experts from Reuters say one night of defence can cost over $1.1 billion, which includes the cost of missiles, jet fuel, and monitoring the skies.
According to Argus Media, it is now much more expensive for ships to travel through the Gulf. Over the next six months, this will likely make fuel and shipping more expensive for everyone around the world.
The UAE proved its technology can stop a massive attack. However, the future will be a ‘war of money.’ The UAE will possibly start using Laser weapons soon. These lasers only cost a few dollars per shot and could help balance the high cost of defence. For now, the UAE is working with other countries to stop the attacks through diplomacy so they don’t have to keep spending billions on defence.