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54-524: The UAEAF's history starts in May 1968, with the formation of an Air Wing of the Abu Dhabi Defence Force (ADDF) under British rule . Its key roles being to provide both a transport service and a ground attack support capability for ADDF land forces. Major investment in the early 1970s assured an expansion in terms of capabilities, quality and quantity of aircraft. It also led to the renaming of

108-652: A Jordanian pilot was captured by Islamic State militants in late December 2014; pending improvements in US search and rescue capabilities in the region. In 2015, UAE Air Force dropped bombs on ISIS targets in Syria. One of them was Major Mariyam Al Mansouri, the first female UAE Air Force pilot. The UAE military is also part of the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen . The UAEAF consists of about 4,000 personnel. In

162-476: A consultative position, however, and did not serve in administrative offices as cabinet ministers do. Members of the Executive Council were not necessarily members of the lower house but were usually members of the upper house. Later as the white colonies gained more internal responsible government , the lower house began to supersede the (usually unelected) upper house as the colonial legislature, and

216-585: A dozen Eurocopter Fennecs 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, near

270-520: A further ten ex- South African Air Force reworked SA-330s , 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 modernised as well, to the AH-64D Longbow standard, and

324-582: A number of colonies were granted " responsible government ", making them largely self-governing. A Crown colony: a type of colonial administration of the English and later the British Empire, whose legislature and administration was controlled by the Crown. Crown colonies were ruled by a governor appointed by the monarch. By the middle of the 19th century, the sovereign appointed royal governors on

378-506: A parallel taxiway with a width of 38 m (125 ft). The British Armed Forces have operations at the base. No. 906 Expeditionary Air Wing RAF was stood up at the base on 15 January 2013. 906 Wing was an expansion of the RAF 's presence; previously, prior to Christmas 2012, No. 6 Squadron RAF had exercised their Eurofighter Typhoons from the UAE. The base was being used extensively by

432-597: 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 HARMs , 1,000 or more AGM-65 Mavericks , about 500 AIM-120 AMRAAMs , 270 AIM-9 Sidewinders and 52 AGM-84 Harpoons . In November 2017,

486-500: 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 5s in favour of F-16s . Currently there are five main air bases operational, split between the Western and Central Air Command. The Joint Aviation Command has its own airbase and operates a wide range of helicopters. Candidates apply to

540-767: Is a military installation in the United Arab Emirates . The base is located approximately 15 miles (24 km) south of Dubai and is operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Force . It is currently the headquarters of the Australian Defence Force's Joint Task Force 633 and supports Australian operations in the Middle East. The base was "a critical hub for Coalition/ ISAF partners in Afghanistan, including

594-424: Is an association formed by investors or shareholders for the purpose of trade, exploration and colonization. Chartered companies were usually formed, incorporated and legitimized under a royal charter . This document set out the terms under which the company could trade, defined its boundaries of influence, and described its rights and responsibilities. Groups of investors formed companies to underwrite and profit from

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648-786: 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

702-651: The Americas in the Atlantic slave trade . A protectorate is a territory which is not formally annexed but in which, by treaty, grant or other lawful means, the Crown has power and jurisdiction. A protectorate differs from a "protected state". A protected state is a territory under a foreign ruler which enjoys British protection, over whose foreign affairs she exercises control, but in respect of whose internal affairs she does not exercise jurisdiction. Dominions were semi-independent polities that were nominally under

756-583: The Hawk 102 aircraft, transport aircraft, and helicopters. At Minhad, the new pilots learn Basic Fighters Manoeuvres, 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

810-643: The Irish Free State , the other territories of the empire remained under the control of the United Kingdom. From 1714 to 1837, the British throne was held by a series of kings who were also the rulers of the German state of Hanover . However, this was purely a personal union, with Hanover maintaining its political independence otherwise, and so it is not usually considered to have formed part of

864-675: The League of Nations for the benefit of their inhabitants. Most converted to United Nations Trust Territories in 1946. The Indian Empire was the imperial political structure in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947, comprising British India (a Crown colony: presidencies and provinces directly governed by the British Crown through the Viceroy and Governor-General of India ) and Princely States , governed by Indian princes, under

918-602: The Legislative Assembly or House of Assembly . The lower house was usually elected, but suffrage was restricted to free white men only, usually with property ownership restrictions. Since land ownership was widespread, most white men could vote. The governor also often had an Executive Council which had a similar function to the Cabinet in England but was not responsible to the colonial lower house. They held

972-459: The suzerainty of the British Crown exercised through the Viceroy and Governor-General of India . Within twenty years of the partition and independence in 1947 of India (considered to be the most important colonial possession), most of the Empire's territories had achieved full independence. Today 14 former colonies (since 2002 known as British Overseas Territories ) remain under British rule;

1026-440: The 16th to the 20th centuries, the British Empire stretched from a total area at its peak in 1920 to over 35,500,000 km (13,700,000 sq mi), the largest empire in the world. In terms of population, on the eve of World War II, Britain and her colonial possessions totaled 500 million inhabitants. The British Empire had an enormous impact on world history. The United Kingdom had about 120 colonies throughout its history ,

1080-470: The 1970s and 80s, the UAEAF was instructed by Pakistan Air Force pilots on Dassault Mirage 5s , 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

1134-649: The Air Force were the Dassault Mirage 5 , Boeing 707 , Aeritalia G.222 , CASA C-212 , SF.260T , Alouette III , SA 342 Gazelle , Bölkow Bo 105 , Bell 206 & Bell 214 helicopter. Future programs include the Next-Generation Fighter, request for proposals has been sent to Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet , Dassault Rafale , Eurofighter Typhoon , Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II and Sukhoi Su-57 . On 3 December 2021 it

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1188-851: The Air Wing to the ADDF Air Force in 1972. Training and instruction was provided by the Pakistan Air Force . During the 1973 Arab-Israel War (6-25 October 1973), the ADDF Air Force's Caribous served as air ambulances in Jordan. The 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

1242-592: The Atlantic Ocean) (Islands in the Indian Ocean) This is a listing of the more important treaties , Acts of Parliament , and other legal instruments and events affecting the nature and territorial extent of the British Empire. Additionally, there were more concessions were planned but never completed. Al Minhad Air Base Al Minhad Air Base ( Arabic : قاعدة المنهاد الجوية , IATA : NHD , ICAO : OMDM , also just Minhad Air Base )

1296-461: The Australians, Dutch, Canadians, Brits and Kiwis." As of March 2024 the airbase is also host to the permanent British Support Operations facility Donnelly Lines . The airfield resides at an elevation of 172 ft (52 m) above mean sea level . It has one runway , 09/27 which has an asphalt surface measuring 12,901 ft × 150 ft (3,932 m × 46 m), and

1350-650: The British Dominions 1918–1931, stated that "the Dominions are sovereign international States in the sense that the King in respect of each of His Dominions (Newfoundland excepted) is such a State in the eyes of international law". After then, those countries that were previously referred to as "Dominions" became Commonwealth realms where the sovereign reigns no longer as the British monarch, but as monarch of each nation in its own right, and are considered equal to

1404-504: The British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations." The Statute of Westminster 1931 converted this status into legal reality, making them essentially independent members of what was then called the British Commonwealth. Initially,

1458-417: The British Empire. The nature of the territories (and peoples) ruled as part of the British Empire varied enormously. In legal terms the territories included those formally under the sovereignty of the British monarch (who held the additional title of Emperor/Empress of India from 1876 to 1947); various "foreign" territories controlled as protectorates; territories transferred to British administration under

1512-506: The British Overseas Territories are islands (or groups of islands) with a small population; some are in very remote areas of the world. Of the territories with a permanent population, all have at least some degree of internal self-government, with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for defence and external relations. The fourteen British Overseas Territories are: (Territories south of 60° S) (Islands in

1566-420: The Crown , constituting the British Empire and British Commonwealth , beginning in the later part of the 19th century. The dominions had been previously Crown colonies, and some of the colonies had been united to form dominions such as Union of South Africa and Commonwealth of Australia . The Balfour Declaration of 1926 clarified the status of the dominions, recognizing them as "autonomous Communities within

1620-467: The Crown . In addition to the areas formally under the sovereignty of the British monarch, various "foreign" territories were controlled as protectorates; territories transferred to British administration under the authority of the League of Nations or the United Nations ; and miscellaneous other territories, such as the condominium of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan . The natures of the administration of

1674-615: The Dominions conducted their own trade policy, some limited foreign relations, and had autonomous armed forces , although the British government claimed and exercised the exclusive power to declare wars. However, after the passage of the Statute of Westminster , the language of dependency on the Crown of the United Kingdom ceased, and the Crown itself was no longer referred to as the Crown of any place in particular but simply as "the Crown". Arthur Berriedale Keith , in Speeches and Documents on

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1728-485: The Empire changed both by time and place, and there was no uniform system of government in the Empire. Colonies were territories that were intended to be places of permanent settlement, providing land for their settlers. The Crown claimed absolute sovereignty over them, although they were not formally part of the United Kingdom itself. Generally, their law was the common law of England together with whatever British Acts of Parliament were also applied to them. Over time,

1782-598: The F-16 with the United States Air Force 's 162d Fighter Wing in Tucson , Arizona . 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

1836-746: 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

1890-638: 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

1944-649: The RAF during the Operation Pitting , the UK's evacuation of Kabul in 2021, with an Airbus KC2 Voyager used for long-haul back to RAF Brize Norton and the Boeing C-17A Globemaster and Lockheed C-130J Hercules operating between Kabul and Minhad Air Base. In March 2024, HRH The Princess Royal opened an "expansive" new permanent facility called Donnelly Lines to support British operations in

1998-574: The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces announced their intention to sign a contract with Dassault Aviation for the upgrade of its Mirage 2000-9 aircraft. French newspaper La Tribune reported the modernization would cost roughly €300 million. After a competition between the BAE Hawk, KAI T-50 Golden Eagle and Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master , the UAEAF announced the acquisition of 48 trainer and light attack aircraft, with

2052-558: The United Kingdom and one another. Mandates were forms of territory created after the end of the First World War . A number of German colonies and protectorates and Ottoman provinces were held as mandates by the United Kingdom ( Tanganyika , British Cameroons , Togoland , Palestine and Mesopotamia ); and its dominions of Australia ( New Guinea , Nauru ), New Zealand ( Western Samoa ), and South Africa ( South West Africa ). These territories were governed on behalf of

2106-664: The advice of the Secretary of State for the Colonies . This became the main method of creating and governing colonies. Most Crown colonies, especially the white settler colonies had a bicameral legislature, consisting of an upper house usually called the Legislative council , which members were appointed and served a similar purpose as the British House of Lords . There also existed lower houses which were usually named

2160-484: The authority of the League of Nations or the United Nations ; and miscellaneous other territories, such as the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan , a condominium with Egypt. No uniform system of government was applied to any of these. Several countries ( dominions ) within the British Empire gained independence in stages during the earlier part of the 20th century. Much of the rest of the empire was dismantled in

2214-507: The border corner with Saudi Arabia and Oman, near Al Gharbia , housing at least one Mirage 2000 unit. Al-Safran is believed to have opened between around 2008. It is 3,000 m long and has aircraft parking nearly the same size as in Al Udeid Air Base , Qatar. A 4,000 m runway at Al-Safran Air Base was built around 2008. As of 2008, the structure of the United Arab Emirates Air Force is as follows: Previous aircraft operated by

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2268-502: The charter or other colonial legislation. A number of colonies in the 16th and 17th centuries were granted to a particular individual; these were known as proprietary colonies. Proprietary colonies in America were governed by a Lord Proprietor , who, holding authority by virtue of a royal charter, usually exercised that authority almost as an independent sovereign. Eventually these were converted to Crown colonies. A chartered company

2322-1006: The exploration of Africa, India, Asia, the Caribbean and North America, under the patronage of the state. Some companies like the East India Company (the most famous), the Hudson's Bay Company , and the Royal African Company ruled large colonial possessions (especially in India), but the Hudson's Bay Company took control of the Hudson Bay drainage basin in Canada as Rupert's Land , and the Royal African Company started to ship slaves from West Africa to

2376-680: 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 MB-339 is also in use with the UAEAF flight display team, Al Fursan . 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

2430-449: The former territories of the British Empire are members of the Commonwealth of Nations . Fourteen of these (known, with the United Kingdom, as the 15 Commonwealth realms ) retain the British monarch (currently Charles III ) as head of state. The British monarch is also Head of the Commonwealth, but this is a purely symbolic and personal title; members of the Commonwealth (including the Commonwealth realms) are fully sovereign states. From

2484-480: The highest NATO standards. In the 1991 Gulf War, the UAE helped other countries by carrying out airstrikes against Iraqi forces. In 2014, the UAE Air Force along with the Egyptian Air Force carried out airstrikes in Libya against Islamist factions in Tripoli . In September 2014, UAE Air Force aircraft joined in US-led air strikes against terrorist targets in Syria and Iraq that later became known as Operation Inherent Resolve. These operations were suspended after

2538-428: 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 modernisation of the UAEAF, with the goal of attaining a level of capability matching

2592-405: The most colonies in the world, the French colonial empire came second, which had about 80 colonies. Around 54 countries gained independence from the United Kingdom throughout its history, the most in the world, ahead of the French colonial empire , which 40 countries gained independence from France. The British Empire refers to the possessions, dominions, and dependencies under the control of

2646-400: The position of Premier emerged. Charter colony is one of the three classes of colonial government established in the 17th-century English colonies in North America . In a charter colony, the King granted a royal charter to the colonial government establishing the rules under which the colony was to be governed and charter colonies elected their own governors based on rules spelled out in

2700-406: The region. The facility contains a headquarters and accommodation. Several foreign countries allied to the United Arab Emirates are believed to have made use of Al Minhad Air Base since the early 2000s to support the logistics supply chain for their military operations in Afghanistan . Use of the Al Minhad Air Base is a sensitive matter for the Government of the United Arab Emirates, which imposes

2754-411: The term "colonies" is no longer officially used to describe these, although some parts of UK legislation still refer to the term "colony" (see for instance the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988, s.255(2), which explicitly reads that "Her Majesty may by Order in Council direct that this Part shall extend (...) to (a) any of the Channel Islands, (b) the Isle of Man, or (c) any colony"). Almost all of

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2808-411: The twenty years following the end of the Second World War , starting with the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, and continued until the handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in 1997 . There remain, however, fourteen territories around the world known as the British Overseas Territories which remain under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom. Many of

2862-427: Was announced that the UAE had signed an order for 80 Rafale F4s. Evolution of the British Empire The territorial evolution of the British Empire is considered to have begun with the foundation of the English colonial empire in the late 16th century. Since then, many territories around the world have been under the control of the United Kingdom or its predecessor states. When the Kingdom of Great Britain

2916-443: Was formed in 1707 by the union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England , the latter country's colonial possessions passed to the new state. Similarly, when Great Britain was united with the Kingdom of Ireland in 1801 to form the United Kingdom , control over its colonial possessions passed to the latter state. Collectively, these territories are referred to as the British Empire . When much of Ireland gained independence in 1922 as

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