His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (photo), Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said that UAE Armed Forces have played a vital role in a turbulent and dangerous regional and international environment in which it was surrounded by threats.
He added that the UAE’s Armed Forces have earned respect and appreciation across the world because they represent the UAE policy that is not only based on the call for peace, coexistence and dialogue between states, but also on commitment to working for world peace and security and actively engage in every effort aimed at confronting sources of risk, tension and threat on the international scene.
Speaking to ‘Nation Shield’ on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the Unification of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohamed said: “On this great occasion, I pray for the soul of our late father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the UAE, and the souls of his brothers, the founders of the United Arab Emirates. Together, these visionary leaders made history on May 6, 1976 when they made the decision to unify our Armed Forces under one banner. By doing so, they laid the foundations for a strong and unified nation and made it possible for the UAE to make the great strides that it has done over the past four decades.”
“Make no mistake, we are extremely keen on improving the capabilities of our Armed Forces to ensure their continuous readiness in the face of threats and to ensure that they are equipped with the best systems in order to protect our homeland, our people and our achievements,” he added.
“We are acutely aware that rapid technological progress the world over is making weapon systems, training and simulation, command and control, among many other aspects of modern armed forces, more sophisticated than ever before.”
“Therefore, we in the UAE are very keep on being at the forefront of these developments and innovations to enable our Armed Forces to deal with current and future threats and situations”, Sheikh Mohamed added.
On this same occasion, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defense Affairs, said: “By playing a vital role in peacekeeping missions in different areas of the world, the UAE Armed Forces have carried and spread the UAE's principles and its message for peace and stability.”
“Day by day, the UAE is proving its capability and is ready to deter all threats, confronting and eradicating terrorism and providing support to the brothers in Yemen to ease their plight,” he added.
For his part, Lt. General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces, said that the unification of the Armed Forces represents the true beginning of transforming the nation’s military capabilities.
“The UAE Armed Forces has proven its military capabilities and professionalism across many missions, from assisting regional and global partners in maintaining international peace, to providing help to regions affected by natural disasters and conflict across the world,” Al Rumaithi added.
“This year, Unification Day coincides with the ‘Year of Zayed’ - commemorating the centennial anniversary of the birth of the UAE's Founding Father - raising our sense of pride to higher levels. It is because of the late Sheikh Zayed’s values and care that helped build our Armed Forces and created a climate conducive to the nation's development march across all sectors,” he continued.
