Dubai: The United States will deploy a guided missile destroyer and state-of-the-art fighter jets to assist the United Arab Emirates defend itself following a series of missile attacks by Yemeni rebels, a US statement said Wednesday according to NDTV report.
The deployment, to "assist the UAE against the current threat", comes after a phone call between Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the US embassy in the UAE informed.
The UAE, part of the Saudi-led alliance tackling Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels, faced three missile attacks last month with the first one claiming the lives of three oil workers.
The second targeted Al Dhafra air base, where US forces are deployed, prompting them to launch Patriot interceptors to help shoot down the missiles as air crews scrambled to bunkers.
The guided missile destroyer USS Cole will collaborate with the UAE Navy and build a port call in Abu Dhabi, the statement said, while the US will also deploy fifth-generation fighter planes.
