United Arab Emirates Air Force The United Arab Emirates Air Force ( UAEAF ) is the air force of the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) . Its predecessor was established in 1968 , when the Emirates were still under British rule . Since then , it has undergone a continual reorganization and expansion in terms of both capability and numbers of aircraft . Currently , the UAEAF has around 4 , 000 personnel and operates approximately 368 fixed and rotary wing aircraft . History . The UAEAF ' s history starts in 1968 , when the Abu Dhabi Army Air Force was formed under British rule . After becoming the ALRAMS Air Force in 1972 , major investment assured an expansion in terms of capabilities , quality and quantity of aircraft . Training and instruction was provided by the Pakistan Air Force . Neighbour Emirate of Dubai maintained its own air component , the Dubai Defence Force Air Wing , until 1999 , when the two were effectively merged to become what is now the United Arab Emirates Air Force . Although the integration of the two independent forces has been complete , a small degree of autonomy exists at the operational command level , with the Western Air Command being headquartered in Abu Dhabi and the Central Air Command in Dubai . Since the 1980s , a combination of regional instability and high oil prices has resulted in an ambitious modernization of the UAEAF , with the goal of attaining a level of capability matching the highest NATO standards . Personnel and training . The UAEAF consists of about 4 , 000 personnel . In the 1970s and 80s , the UAEAF was instructed by Pakistan Air Force pilots on Dassault Mirage III s , the backbone of the UAEAF at the time . Even today , many of the personnel are ex - Pakistan Air Force officers and technicians . Most of the flying instructors at Al Ain are from Pakistan , training pilots using Grob G 115 , Pilatus PC - 7 , Aermacchi MB - 339 , and BAE Hawk 63 aircraft . A few officers of No . 12 Squadron ( Hawk 102 ) at Al Minhad Air Base , are also from the Pakistan Air Force . Some of these officers are on deputation ( active service ) , but most are on civilian contracts with the Air Force Headquarters in Abu Dhabi . Numerous officers of other nationalities have also trained UAE pilots , among them Pakistanis , Moroccans , Canadians , Jordanians , and South Africans . Women have started training as pilots . The first batch consisted of engineers given approval for flight training . So far , only three women have become actual fighter pilots and one a transport pilot . One woman pilot was grounded due to an ejection from a training flight in a Hawk 63 . Instructors at Al Dhafra Air Base are now mainly from the US , as the UAEAF has retired its Mirage IIIs in favour of F - 16 s . Currently there are five main air bases operational , split between the Western and Central Air Command . The Special Operations Command has its own airbase and operates a wide range of helicopters . Candidates apply to the Khalifa bin Zayed Air College , which is located at the Al Ain International Airport in Al Ain . They first go through a rigorous schedule of academics ( Basic Level : Military Sciences ) , fitness and officer training . Those who are selected as cadets then start the second phase of academics : Flight Sciences ( Aeronautical Science ) . Cadets who pass the assessment period of the second phase are designated aviation cadets and start flight training . The first aircraft cadets get to fly is the Grob G115 TA . Those who qualify then go on to fly the Pilatus PC - 7 . On this aircraft , they learn the basics of flying , take - off and landing techniques and procedures followed by a bit of aerobatics . Following the Primary Flying Course is the Basic Flight Course , piloting the Hawk 63 . Graduates are graded and assigned accordingly to one of three options : the Advanced Strike course at Minhad on the Hawk 102 aircraft , transport aircraft , and helicopters . At Minhad , the new pilots learn Basic Fighters Manoeuvers , drop bombs and learn to fly cross - country to a neighbouring country , commonly Bahrain or Kuwait . Upon completion of the Advanced Strike course , officers are selected either for the F - 16 ( Block 60 ) or the Dassault Mirage 2000 - 9 , both at Al Dhafra AB . A few pilots are selected to learn to fly the F - 16 with the United States Air Force ' s 162d Fighter Wing in Tucson , Arizona . Current state . 2007 marked the culmination of the largest procurement programmes ever undertaken by the UAE Air Force , with the final deliveries of the 80 F - 16E / F Block 60 " Desert Falcons " and approximately 60 upgraded Mirage 2000 - 9 , giving the air force a considerable multirole capability . These two investments represented a total expenditure of around $ 10 billion , with additional money spent on infrastructure and logistics . A $ 6 . 4 billion contract with Lockheed Martin for the supply and support of the 80 F - 16s was signed in March 2000 , while a $ 3 . 4 billion deal for the purchase of 30 new Mirage 2000 - 9 and retrofitting of the 33 older UAE Mirage 2000s was signed earlier in 1998 . Missiles were also purchased : 160 AGM - 88 HARM s , 1 , 000 or more AGM - 65 Maverick s , about 500 AIM - 120 AMRAAM s , 270 AIM - 9 Sidewinder s and 52 AGM - 84 Harpoon s . After a competition between the BAE Hawk , T - 50 Golden Eagle and Alenia Aermacchi M - 346 , the UAEAF announced the acquisition of 48 trainer and light attack aircraft , with the first deliveries to take place in 2012 . The other training types that are thought to be near replacement are the 30 Pilatus PC - 7s and five Aermacchi MB - 339s serving with the Air Academy at Al Ain . The UAEAF has operated 20 IAR 330 Puma helicopters since the late 1970s . These have been recently upgraded to the IAR - 330SM standard by IAR Ghimbav in Romania in cooperation with Eurocopter . These aircraft , supplemented by a further ten ex - South African Air Force reworked SA - 330 s , are expected to remain in service for at least 15 years . Although no replacement for the Puma fleet is required in the immediate future , the force will be supplemented by 26 Sikorsky UH - 60M " Battlehawks " , with 390 AGM - 114N Hellfire II missiles . 30 AH - 64A Apache helicopters were modernized as well , to the AH - 64D Longbow standard , and a dozen Eurocopter Fennec s were recently acquired for special forces use . The most important facility of the UAEAF is the Al Dhafra Air Base , with almost the entire fighter aircraft fleet located there . However , in order to prevent all of the air defence and strike assets being located at a single base , a $ 1 billion , completely new facility has been constructed deep in the Abu Dhabi desert . Structure . As of 2008 , the structure of the United Arab Emirates Air Force is as follows : Future equipment . The UAE has asked Eurofighter , Boeing and Dassault for proposals for a next generation fighter . The UAE has said that it requires a more advanced aircraft than the current Rafale in service with the Armée de l ’ Air , and is not going to fund Dassault for a new variant development project . Reports suggest Lockheed Martin F - 35A has also joined as a contender . The United Arab Emirates Air Force has decided to buy another 25 Lockheed Martin F - 16 Block 60 fighters Historic equipment . Fixed - wing aircraft Rotary - wing aircraft