Mayun Airbase (Perim)

Mayun Island, also known as Perim, occupies a highly strategic position in the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Its location gives military forces operating from the island direct access to one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, with the ability to support operations toward the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the western coast of Yemen.

The United Arab Emirates became closely associated with military activity on Mayun after Emirati and allied forces helped retake the island from Houthi forces in 2015. Construction of an airfield began later in the decade, was abandoned, and then resumed in early 2021. Satellite imagery obtained by the Associated Press showed a new runway approximately 1.85 kilometres long and three aircraft hangars under construction. Yemeni officials attributed the project to the UAE, although the Emirati government did not publicly claim ownership of the airbase.

The completed runway was capable of supporting attack, surveillance and transport aircraft, giving the facility potential value for air operations, military logistics and maritime security. Emirati vessels were also reported to have transported military equipment and personnel to the island during the construction period. The facility's position in the Bab al-Mandab provides a forward location for monitoring and supporting activity along the Red Sea shipping corridor.

The development also reflected the UAE's changing military posture after its announced reduction of forces in Yemen in 2019. Rather than abandoning its strategic interests in the region, the UAE increasingly emphasized forward positions capable of protecting maritime routes and supporting partner forces. Mayun's small size, isolated location and position between Yemen, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden made it particularly useful for this purpose.

The exact command and operational status of the facility have remained difficult to establish publicly. In 2021, the Saudi-led coalition stated that equipment on Mayun was under Coalition Command and was being used to counter the Houthis, secure maritime navigation and support forces on Yemen's western coast. Other analyses have continued to associate the airbase with the UAE and its regional military network. The site is therefore best described as a UAE-linked military airbase rather than an unequivocally UAE-owned overseas base.