Emirati air defences have engaged multiple waves of ballistic missiles and drones over the past 24 hours, the UAE Ministry of Defence said on Thursday, April 2, 2026, as the country continues to confront what it describes as “blatant Iranian attacks” targeting its security and civilian infrastructure. Open‑source defence and government statements show that the UAE’s air‑defence systems have been in near‑continuous operation since the regional escalation began on February 28, 2026, underscoring a sharp rise in missile‑and‑drone‑based threats.
On Thursday, UAE air defences intercepted 19 ballistic missiles and 26 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) launched from Iranian territory, according to a Ministry‑of‑Defence statement disseminated over official channels. The ministry emphasised that these systems successfully engaged and neutralised the projectiles, preventing most of them from reaching populated areas, though some debris from intercepted missiles caused minor damage near Abu Dhabi’s industrial zone in Kezad. Since the start of the current conflict phase, Emirati forces have intercepted at least 457 ballistic missiles, 19 cruise missiles and around 2,038 drones, the Ministry said in a consolidated update.
Scale of missile and drone campaign
Publicly released figures show that the missile and drone campaign against the UAE has grown significantly in intensity over the past month. In early March, the Ministry reported that Emirati air defences had already engaged hundreds of ballistic missiles and more than 1,700 drones, while later tallies updated the interception counts to the current level of 457 ballistic and 2,038 UAVs. These data, drawn from official Ministry‑of‑Defence statements posted on open social‑media platforms and relayed by regional and international news‑aggregation outlets, indicate that the UAE is now operating its air‑defence architecture at or near sustained‑combat capacity.
Officials have described the attacks as part of a broader regional conflict, in which Iranian‑backed or Iranian‑launched strikes also target other Gulf states and neighbouring countries. The Ministry has repeatedly stressed that the UAE’s air‑defence network is multi‑layered, combining advanced radar surveillance, command‑and‑control nodes and surface‑to‑air missile systems to track and engage multiple threats simultaneously.
Despite the high interception rate, the ongoing missile and drone campaigns have taken a human toll. The Ministry disclosed that at least 12 fatalities have been recorded since February 28, including two members of the UAE Armed Forces killed while on duty and a Moroccan civilian contracted by the Armed Forces. In some cases, projectiles or their debris have struck civilian infrastructure or industrial zones, prompting local authorities to issue emergency alerts and safety instructions to residents.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster‑Management Authority has urged the public to remain indoors during alerts, avoid non‑essential outdoor movement when air‑defence systems are actively engaged, and follow only official government channels for updates. Authorities have also reiterated that the UAE’s air‑defence posture remains on high alert, with continuous drills, system upgrades and cooperation with regional and international partners to deter and respond to further attacks.
In a statement released on April 2, the Ministry of Defence affirmed that the UAE “remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats” in a manner that protects sovereignty, security and stability. The message is aimed both at the domestic population and at regional and global partners, underscoring the UAE’s commitment to defending its airspace and critical infrastructure without escalating the conflict beyond defensive measures.
Defence officials have also highlighted that the current environment marks a transition from peacetime air‑defence readiness to an operational tempo in which missile and drone threats are treated as a baseline condition rather than an exceptional event. Analysts and open‑source defence observers note that sustaining such operations over weeks or months will test not only technology and logistics, but also the resilience of civilian life, supply chains and economic activity in major urban centres such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
As of today, April 3, 2026, the UAE’s armed forces continue to emphasise that they are “dealing with missile threats” as an ongoing reality of the regional security landscape, while calling for de‑escalation and adherence to international law by all parties involved.