Tuesday April 15, 2025
A satellite image shared by open-source analysts shows a suspected radar installation site near Bosaso in Somalia’s Puntland region, adjacent to the UAE-operated airbase. The structure, believed to be configured for housing a mobile radar unit, has not been independently verified by Hiiraan Online or the Associated Press. (Image: Google Earth)
Mogadishu (HOL) — Open-source intelligence analysts have reported the presence of an Israeli-manufactured radar system near the UAE-operated Bosaso Air Base in Somalia's Puntland region.
This report relies on satellite coordinates and social media posts by independent OSINT researchers. No official confirmation has been issued by the United Arab Emirates, Somalia's federal government, or Puntland authorities.
The radar system, identified by open-source analysts as the ELM-2084 Multi-Mission Radar was geolocated near the Puntland Maritime Police Headquarters, adjacent to the UAE-operated Bosaso Air Base. The coordinates, 11°16'16.5 "N 49°06'28.3 "E, were first shared publicly by geospatial analyst @Dinlas3 and amplified by open-source accounts such as @OSINTWarfare and former U.S. defence official Mary Beth Long.
If confirmed, the deployment would mark a notable expansion of the UAE's surveillance and strategic footprint in a region critical to global shipping and maritime security. The base in Bosaso has been operated by the UAE since 2017 as part of its counter-piracy and maritime police training program with Puntland.
The ELM-2084 radar, developed by Israel's ELTA Systems, is a highly mobile, S-band AESA (active electronically scanned array) system. It can simultaneously track over 1,000 targets, including drones, missiles, aircraft, and artillery fire, at ranges of up to 470 kilometres. It also provides fire-control guidance for systems such as Israel's Iron Dome and David's Sling.
The radar's versatility allows it to adapt to shifting battlefield conditions and contribute to air defence and ground-based intelligence gathering, offering a real-time, three-dimensional situational picture.
Although the radar's presence in Puntland remains unverified, its capabilities align with regional concerns over drone and missile threats—particularly from Yemen's Houthi movement, which has targeted Red Sea shipping lanes in recent months. However, analysts caution that the radar's effective range may not extend far enough to cover most of Yemen from its current position in Bosaso.
The timing of the reported deployment follows heightened regional competition, with the UAE, Turkey, Qatar, China, and Western nations all maintaining or expanding their influence in the Horn of Africa. The radar's suspected placement in Puntland—rather than a federally controlled area—also highlights long-running tensions between Somalia's central government and the semi-autonomous state.
The UAE has cultivated a direct relationship with Puntland, including port investments through Dubai-based DP World and joint security initiatives. Federal officials in Mogadishu have previously criticized Abu Dhabi for bypassing national channels in favour of local agreements, viewing it as a challenge to Somali sovereignty.
Locally, the UAE's operations have drawn protests in the past from Puntland's fishing communities, particularly around Bosaso, where access to coastal zones has reportedly been restricted. The addition of a high-tech surveillance system may further inflame these tensions if viewed as serving foreign strategic goals rather than local interests.
No satellite imagery has been made publicly available that conclusively identifies the ELM-2084 system at the reported site. Independent military analysts caution that the radar's presence, while plausible given the UAE's growing defence ties with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords, remains speculative without photographic evidence or on-the-ground confirmation. Some have also questioned whether the identified structure could house other surveillance infrastructure or serve a different logistical role.