United Arab Emirates Plans Reserve Military Force

The United Arab Emirates, amid increasing tensions with Iran, has launched an effort to establish a reserve military force. Officials said the UAE, which contains a U.S. and British combat air presence, would set up a major military reserve unit that would ensure indigenous capabilities. They said the reserves would retain the services of experienced officers and technicians. ‘The UAE military will be the most modern in the Gulf Cooperation Council state,’ an official said. ‘It must establish a reserve force that would retain the expertise and experience required to maintain such a military.’ Currently, Kuwait, another neighbor of Iran, is the only GCC state with a reserve military force. The UAE has the most modern fleet in the region, with the advanced F-16 Block 60 multi-role fighter