UAE builds massive metal cages around fuel tanks to block Iranian drones
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The United Arab Emirates has finished installing large grid-like metal cages, known as “cope cages,” around fuel storage tanks in Abu Dhabi and near Dubai International Airport.
The passive defenses, completed after roughly four months of work that began in May, aim to shield critical energy infrastructure from low-cost kamikaze drones.
Construction followed repeated Iranian attacks that damaged key sites, including the Port of Fujairah and the Habshan natural gas facility.
UAE air defenses reported engaging 551 ballistic missiles, 29 cruise missiles, and 2,265 unmanned aerial vehicles during the US-‘Israel’ war with Iran.
The UAE has built large metal protective fences around fuel storage tanks in Abu Dhabi to safeguarding critical energy facilities from potential Iranian drone attacks. pic.twitter.com/hJvLxf5vVU
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) August 22, 2026
One fuel tank at Dubai International Airport was directly hit by an explosive-laden Iranian drone on March 16, forcing temporary airspace closures and producing a large plume of smoke.
The cages consist of heavy steel frameworks and mesh erected overhead and around the tanks.
Their purpose is to intercept or force premature detonation of one-way attack drones, such as Iran’s Shahed-136, before they can strike the tanks directly.
Experts note the structures create distance that reduces the effectiveness of shaped charges or explosive payloads.
The UAE adopted the tactic from Russia, which has used similar metal cages and nets for years to protect oil storage facilities from Ukrainian drone strikes.
Images first circulated in May showed partial construction near Dubai International Airport; newer imagery confirm the work is now largely finished at both Dubai and Abu Dhabi sites.
Analysts describe the cages as a low-tech but practical last layer of defense when advanced air defenses are saturated by massed, inexpensive drones.
Similar measures have appeared on Russian and Ukrainian tanks and energy sites, proving effective at limiting damage from suicide drones even if they cannot stop every attack.
