US launches multinational attack-drone task force in Middle East
New unit will coordinate unmanned strike systems across air, land and maritime domains with regional partners
LONDON (MNTV) — The United States is establishing a multinational task force focused on deploying one-way attack drones across air, land and maritime environments in the Middle East.
US Central Command announced that the new unit, named Task Force Falcon Strike, will bring together US military personnel and regional partners to operate unmanned systems designed to detonate on impact.
The task force will include attack drones capable of operating above, on and below the water, expanding the range of unmanned strike capabilities available to US forces and their regional partners.
The initiative follows the creation of Task Force Scorpion Strike nine months ago, which Central Command described as the US military’s first dedicated one-way attack drone unit in the Middle East.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, said Falcon Strike would build on the experience gained through Scorpion Strike and incorporate technological developments emerging among regional allies and partners.
US officials are consulting regional countries before formally inviting them to participate in the new task force. Central Command said broader participation could expand the multinational force and strengthen what it described as a unified regional deterrent.
Personnel from US Special Operations Command Central, which established Scorpion Strike, will lead Falcon Strike and coordinate its US and regional representatives.
Scorpion Strike has achieved several operational milestones since its establishment, including the first deployment of an aerial one-way attack drone from a US Navy warship in December.
Central Command said the unit also deployed unmanned aerial systems during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, which began in February, and used unmanned attack vessels during strikes against Iranian port facilities in July.
US officials said integrating emerging unmanned technologies with regional partners would allow the participating militaries to develop and deploy new capabilities more rapidly.
US Special Operations Command Central, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, oversees special operations activities within Central Command’s 21-country area covering the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia.
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