US, Saudi forces hold largest Middle East counter-drone drills amid Gaza genocide
Red Sands exercise tests advanced systems as Washington continues military support to Israel, aimed against Palestinian citizens
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (MNTV) — The United States and Saudi Arabia have launched the region’s largest counter-drone exercise at the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center, even as the U.S. continues to fund Israel’s war on Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed.
The multi-day exercise began at the Shamal-2 Range in northeastern Saudi Arabia, involved over 300 personnel operating 20 counter-drone systems.
Officials said the drills were designed to test detection, tracking, and elimination of unmanned aerial threats, with live-fire demonstrations highlighting layered defense strategies.
Adm. Brad Cooper, newly appointed commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Raqed Al-Ruwaili, Chief of Staff of the Saudi Armed Forces, visited the site on September 16.
“Threats posed by the proliferation of advanced drones are a pressing challenge,” Cooper said, emphasizing the need for regional collaboration.
This marked the fourth Red Sands exercise since U.S.-Saudi cooperation on counter-drone training began in 2023.
The drills showcased rapid prototyping and integrated tactics, with systems including the Vanguard firing solution for drone swarms, Skyguard, Shikra, MLIDS (Mobile-Low, Slow, Unmanned Integrated Defeat System), and electronic warfare capabilities.
Combat assets such as U.S. AC-130 gunships, AH-64 Apache helicopters, and Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets also took part, engaging simulated aerial threats. Training scenarios concluded with Drone Defeat Rounds — 12-gauge munitions packed with tungsten pellets — to neutralize small drones.
Organizers said the Red Sands Center aims to advance joint technologies, tactics, and interoperability across regional partners in response to the growing use of drones by armed groups.
The drills, however, come as U.S. military and financial backing enables Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza where international observers note that American funds and weapons continue to fuel mass civilian casualties and destruction.
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