US, Saudi Arabia wrap up drone drill after Iran’s top security chief visits Riyadh
The US military framed the drill, which was held amid tensions following Israel's strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, as a response to drone attacks by Iran and its proxies.
The US and Saudi militaries have concluded what they called a major drone exercise in the Middle East, US Central Command announced on Wednesday. The exercise involved hundreds of troops and unmanned aerial systems, taking place amid ongoing tensions with Iran and heightened Gulf security concerns following Israel’s strike in Qatar.
What happened: The live-fire, counter-drone exercise began in northeast Saudi Arabia on Sept. 7 and focused on improving the detection, tracking and elimination of unmanned aerial vehicles. The US and Saudi forces utilized radar sensors such as the US-made Signal Hunter during the drill, as well as AC-130 and AH-64 Apache aircraft from the US and Saudi F-15s, CENTCOM said in a press release.
CENTCOM described the exercise as the largest of its kind in the Middle East, involving more than 300 personnel from both countries and 20 drones.
US CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper visited the training site on Tuesday along with Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Raqed Al-Ruwaili, chief of staff of the Saudi armed forces.
