- The UAE Ministry of Defense said its air defenses intercepted 1,342 of 1,422 Iranian UAVs along with eight cruise missiles and 221 ballistic missiles during the attacks.
- According to the ministry, 80 drones and two ballistic missiles impacted land while 15 ballistic missiles fell into the sea.
The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces released footage showing its air defense systems intercepting Iranian strike drones targeting the country.
The announcement comes as tensions in the region continue to involve missile and drone attacks targeting military and civilian infrastructure. The UAE government said the interceptions demonstrate the country’s ability to detect and defeat multiple types of incoming aerial threats.
“Footage showing the UAE’s air defences intercepting and destroying Iranian UAVs that attempted to target the country,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement accompanying the released video.
“There is no compromise when it comes to the nation’s security and sovereignty. The UAE Armed Forces stand ready to deter any threat,” the statement added.
According to data published by the UAE Ministry of Defense, the country’s air defense network detected and intercepted large numbers of incoming threats during the incident.
The ministry said air defense systems detected 1,422 unmanned aerial vehicles during the attacks. Of those, 1,342 drones were intercepted before reaching their intended targets.
The report also states that 80 drones impacted land inside the country.
The UAE Ministry of Defense also reported the detection of eight cruise missiles, all of which were intercepted by air defense systems.
In addition, 238 ballistic missiles were detected during the attacks. According to the ministry, 221 ballistic missiles were intercepted, while 15 missiles fell into the sea and two struck land.
The ministry did not specify which air defense systems were used during the interceptions or where exactly the engagements occurred. The released footage focuses on intercept events involving one-way attack drones similar to Iranian Shahed systems, which are widely used in regional conflicts.
Shahed-type drones are designed as loitering munitions, meaning they fly toward a target and detonate on impact. These drones typically use relatively simple guidance systems and are often launched in large numbers to overwhelm air defenses.
Because of their small radar signature and relatively low cost, such drones have become a common tool in modern conflict environments.
Air defense systems typically engage these threats using radar detection combined with interceptor missiles, fighter jets and attack helicopters designed to destroy the drone before it reaches its target.
The footage released by the UAE Ministry of Defense shows intercept events in which incoming drones are destroyed in the air by defensive systems.
The UAE has invested heavily in layered air defense architecture, designed to counter different types of aerial threats including drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.