Foreign Media: Israel Urgently Deploys "Iron Beam" and "Spectre" Systems to the UAE

According to a report by Reference News Network on May 3, the British Financial Times reported on April 30 that Israel has urgently deployed precision weapon systems, including advanced lasers, to the UAE to assist the Gulf nation in defending against Iran's fierce missile and drone assaults.

A regional official stated that this deployment is one of the first examples of significant defense cooperation between the two countries, which only formally established diplomatic relations in 2020 under the mediation of U.S. President Trump through the Abraham Accords.

According to two informed sources, Israel has urgently dispatched a lightweight surveillance system called "Spectro" to help the UAE detect incoming drones from 20 kilometers away.

Additionally, a person familiar with the deployment situation and another who understands the system's operational preparations indicated that Israel also delivered a version of the "Iron Beam" laser defense system.

This laser weapon, capable of vaporizing short-range rockets and drones, was first deployed in Israel earlier this year to counter rockets fired by Hezbollah.

The deployment of the "Iron Beam" and "Spectro" systems to the UAE had not been previously reported.

According to insiders, both weapons are defensive in nature and work in conjunction with the "Iron Dome" air defense system already deployed in the UAE, and Israel has also sent "dozens" of military personnel to operate the system. The U.S. Axios news site was the first to report on the deployment of the "Iron Dome."

An informed source stated that Israel has also deployed other weapon systems to this Gulf nation and increased the number of military personnel. He also said, "The scale of the Israeli ground forces deployed locally should not be underestimated."

To adapt to the urgent pace of wartime, the Israeli military has directly allocated weapons that are still in the prototype stage and not yet fully integrated into its radar systems for hurried delivery to the UAE for use.

The Abraham Accords formally established relations between Israel and four Arab countries, including the UAE. Economic and military ties between Israel and the UAE have been increasingly close, with Israel previously selling the "Barak" and "Spider" air defense systems to the country.

However, the war that erupted in February between the U.S. and Israel against Iran is the first significant ongoing test of the Israel-UAE alliance. Iran's retaliatory actions have prompted Israel to supply advanced equipment to this Gulf nation.

A Western official stated that one reason the UAE has become a key target for Iranian strikes is its active support for the Abraham Accords. (Translation/ Xu Yanhong)