Australian spy plane and missiles to bolster UAE defense against Iran

Australia is deploying military support to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in response to a surge of Iranian drone attacks in the Gulf region. On March 10, 2026, Canberra announced it will send an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft along with about 85 Australian Defence Force personnel to operate it. This deployment also includes advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to help counter the threat posed by large numbers of inexpensive Iranian "Shahed" drones, which Gulf states are struggling to intercept due to the high cost and complexity of guided missiles. Defence Minister Richard Marles emphasized that this mission is a direct response to a UAE request and represents one of Australia's most significant overseas military deployments in recent years. The E-7A Wedgetail, based on a Boeing 737-700 airframe, is equipped with advanced radar capable of monitoring up to 1.5 million square miles, providing critical airborne surveillance and intelligence gathering in drone-heavy conflict zones. Australia’s Wedgetail crews