The Dubai Air Show in the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s largest. With around 50 countries involved, warplanes from around the world are for show, and for sale, with the oil rich gulf nation just one of many potential buyers.
And as the world’s largest weapons dealing nation, the United States has an enormous presence at the show. Indeed, in the nation as well, as the US Air Force touts its role in training the UAE’s own air force, and has a presence of its own there.
Air Force spokesmen say there is a lot of room to expand in the UAE, not just in training but in the nation’s potential to host warplanes. With the nation just a few hundred kilometers from key sites inside Iran, it isn’t hard to imagine why the US might like to keep bombers in the nation.
For UAE to buy war planes is a huge waste of money. Who do they want to use it againt, Iran? The moment planes take off from UAE to bomb Iran, not much would remain standing in the UAE because of Iranian missiles. In fact the existance of a U.S. air base in the UAE would produce an existantial threat to that country, in the event of any US/Israeli attack on Iran. If you want to be the first sacrificial lamb, you’re welcome.
Saila