While today the military of the United Arab Emirates is described admiringly as a 'little Sparta', just 60 years ago the only security forces in the Emirates were the armed retainers of the Ruling Sheikhs and a small British-led, locally-raised Arab force. Through a combination of direct oversight by rulers, investment in its nationals, engagement of expatriates and the purchase of cutting edge military hardware, the UAE Armed Forces has become, arguably, the most capable Arab military. In the last decade, it has also gained considerable experience through its military operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

This book traces the little-known history of the country’s military from 1951 to 2020. It provides unparalleled detail on the constituent forces that evolved into the UAE Armed Forces in 1976, and how that unified force has evolved to the present. It provides essential background information on how the country’s geography, demographics and political system have shaped its military, the enduring roles of the military and the history of each military service. It also details the political and command structure governing the military, and its manpower and materiel characteristics. The book concludes with an explanation of how the UAE has been able to develop such a highly capable military for its size in a relatively short period of time.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• Abbreviations
• Terminology
• Preface
• Part I How Environment has Shaped the Military
  • 1 Physical Environment
    • Geography
    • The topographical zones
    • Political geography
    • Oil and natural resources
    • Looking forward
  • 2 People and Culture
    • Demographics
    • Expatriates
    • Nationals
    • Religion
    • Looking forward
  • 3 Political Control
    • The traditional Emirati system of government
    • Modern Emirate-level Government
    • Federal Government
    • Maintaining ruler control as forces grew
    • Looking forward
• Part II Defining Characteristics of Emirati Armed Forces
  • 4 Missions
    • Core mission 1: Defending territorial integrity and sovereignty
    • Core mission 2: Protecting the rulers and their families
    • Core mission 3: Bolstering internal security
    • Core mission 4: Nation building
    • Core mission 5: Supporting foreign policy Looking forward
    • Looking forward
  • 5 Equipping
    • Substantial defence expenditure
    • Preference for advanced systems
    • Multi-country sourcing of weaponry
    • Looking forward
  • 6 Manpower
    • Manpower challenges
    • Solutions to the manpower challenge
    • Looking forward
• Part III History of the Emirates Armed Forces
  • 7 British-Controlled Armed Forces
    • The Trucial Oman Levies (1951-56) and Trucial Oman Scouts (1956-71)
    • Regular British forces
    • British military involvement after 1971
  • 8 Ruler-Controlled Armed Forces
    • Abu Dhabi Defence Force (1965-76)
    • Ras Al Khaimah Mobile Force (1968-76)
    • Dubai Defence Force (1970-76)
    • Sharjah National Guard (1972-76)
    • Central Military Command (1976-97)
    • Umm Al Quwain National Guard (1976-2006)
    • Re-established armed forces of Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah (1984-1990s)
    • Looking forward
  • 9 Federally Controlled Armed Forces
    • Union Defence Force/Federal Armed Force (1971-76)
    • The 1976 unification of Emirati armed forces
    • The 1978 integration and its aftermath
    • UAE Armed Forces (1976-present)
    • Land Forces
    • Air Force and Air Defence
    • Navy
    • Presidential Guard
    • Joint Aviation Command
    • Coastal, border and infrastructure protection forces
    • Chemical Defence Command
    • National Service and Reserve Authority
  • 10 Conclusion
    • The most capable Arab armed force?
    • The UAE’s route to military effectiveness
    • The future
• Appendices
  • I Militarily Influential Rulers
  • II General Headquarters Structure
  • III Rank Structure
  • IV Emirati Armed Forces Nomenclature
  • V Emirates Armed Forces Leaders (1951-76)
  • VI Leaders of the UAE Armed Forces (1976-2020)
  • VII Foreign Deployments of Emirati Armed Forces
  • VIII British Armed Forces Policy and Military Command in the Trucial States (1951-71)
• Bibliography