CENTCOM eyeing artificial intelligence to counter Iran’s drones, says Kurilla
The top commander of US forces in the Middle East expressed concerns over China's inroads the region and told Al-Monitor he wants to turn up the heat at the next Red Sands exercise in Saudi Arabia to simulate more complex drone attacks.
WASHINGTON – Last month, at the Al-Khurais electronic warfare range in Saudi Arabia, US and Royal Saudi air defense units teamed up for live-fire drills to shoot down a series of training drones mimicking the speed and altitude of a variety of Iranian attack UAVs.
In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Army Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, the top commander of US forces in the Middle East, described the first Red Sands counter-drone experimentation exercise as “very successful.”
Not every new weapon system worked for every scenario – but that was the point. Several US and Saudi-owned weapons hit the targets successfully, including LIDS (Low, Slow, Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System), Coyote and other new counter-drone systems brought in by the US Army.
“Everything that we're trying to do is to enhance the capabilities we have,” Kurilla explained. “It’s helping make our partners better as well.”
