Noises from UAE army copters, jets expected as rehearsals for Union Fortress begin

The UAE Armed Forces on Saturday warned that loud noises – including those of helicopters, fighter planes, armoured personnel carriers and speedboats – are expected in Al Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah as rehearsals for the 6th edition of Union Fortress begin in the emirate.

In a statement, the Armed Forces also warned against approaching the rehearsal site or taking pictures, with fishermen, boats and ships also prohibited from coming near the restricted area from sea, for safety reasons.

Union Fortress showcases the expertise of the Armed Forces, their readiness, spirit and professionalism in a number of different live-action battle scenarios.

In its 6th edition, the event, which will be held on November 1st, will be the biggest-ever public demonstration of the UAE military.

An earlier report said Lt. General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, headed the UAE delegation at the fourth extraordinary meeting of GCC Supreme Military Committee of Chiefs of Staff.

The meeting, which was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the presence of the Commander of the Unified Military Command and the Assistant Secretary-General for Military Affairs, came at the request of the Saudi Armed Forces to discuss and review current regional threats and developments.

The meeting’s participants called for further joint efforts between the armed forces of the GCC countries and expressed their support for the measures taken by Saudi Arabia to defend its territory and the actions taken by any aggrieved GCC countries.

Recently, a delegation from the Ministry of Defence and the General Command of the UAE Armed Forces, headed by Major General Pilot Mubarak Ali Al Neyadi, Head of the Executive Department of Policy and Cooperation at the Ministry of Defence, participated in the 20th Defence and Security Equipment International, DSEI, 2019, at the Exhibition Centre in London.

The delegation, accompanied by Mansour Abdullah Khalfan Belhoul, UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom, UK, visited the UAE pavilion, which is managed by the UAE Defence Companies Council, in cooperation with the ministry and the Tawazun Economic Council.

The UAE pavilion is an important platform for the national defence and security industries to showcase their latest defence and security products and independent systems.

Maj. Gen. Al Neyadi and the Emirati delegation toured the exhibition, which included the pavilions of several countries and the stands of regional and international defence companies.

WAM