ABU DHABI, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States on Monday signed a letter of intent to establish a major defense partnership, the UAE Ministry of Defense announced.
The agreement was signed in Abu Dhabi by Mohamed bin Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei, UAE minister of state for defense affairs, and Pete Hegseth, U.S. secretary of defense.
According to an official statement, the letter of intent reflects a shared commitment to developing a structured roadmap to enhance military cooperation, strengthen defense capabilities, and align long-term strategic priorities.
Both sides will work together to establish a phased framework aimed at improving joint readiness, interoperability, and innovation-driven collaboration, it said.
As part of the announcement, Hegseth unveiled a new initiative between the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit and the UAE's Tawazun Council, which seeks to deepen bilateral defense innovation, facilitate joint research and development, and expand industrial and investment partnerships between the two defense sectors.
The statement also confirmed that the UAE has formally joined the U.S. National Guard's State Partnership Program through a partnership with the Texas National Guard. This collaboration is expected to boost military modernization efforts and advance cooperation in integrated air and missile defense, cybersecurity, disaster response, and operational planning, it noted. ■
