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U.S., Saudis Lead Largest Counter-Drone Exercise in Middle East

U.S. Central Command

Press Release | Sept. 17, 2025

USCENTCOM

September 17, 2025
Release Number 20250917-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. -- On During a visit by the new commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Sept. 16, U.S. and Saudi forces led the Middle East's largest live-fire counter-unmanned aerial system exercise focused on improving the detection, tracking and elimination of modern drone threats.

Adm. Brad Cooper and Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Raqed Al-Ruwaili, Chief of the General Staff for the Royal Saudi Armed Forces, visited the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center during Cooper's first regional trip as CENTCOM commander.

"Threats posed by the proliferation of advanced drones are a pressing challenge," said Cooper. "Working shoulder-to-shoulder with regional partners to innovate and adapt is more critical than ever."

In recent years, Iran and its proxies have launched thousands of one-way attack drones and missiles, injuring and killing civilians while also disrupting maritime traffic and destabilizing the Middle East.

The multi-day event began Sept. 7 and featured more than 300 personnel who fielded 20 counter-unmanned aerial systems at the Shamal-2 Range in northeastern Saudi Arabia.

"Red Sands brought together U.S., Saudi and industry capabilities and expertise to identify 'best in breed' systems for detecting, tracking and eliminating modern aerial drone threats," said Cooper.

This year's exercise was the fourth iteration and represented the culmination of rapid prototyping and integrated defensive tactics developed since the inaugural U.S.-Saudi experimental demonstration in 2023.

U.S. and Saudi forces linked sophisticated radar and sensors such as the Signal Hunter - a body-worn, passive radio frequency sensing and geolocation device - and the Buffer Passive Acoustic Detection System commonly known as "BPADS" to rapidly detect simulated air threats.

Red Sands also featured integrated command and control systems and shooters such as the Vanguard system, a scalable firing solution for eliminating drone swarms. Other ground-based counter-unmanned aerial systems included Skyguard; Shikra; the Mobile-Low, slow, unmanned Integrated Defeat System known as "MLIDS"; and electronic warfare options.

U.S. and Saudi units also flew rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft to detect, track and engage the simulated aerial threats, including AC-130 and AH-64 Apache airframes from the United States, and Saudi F-15s, AH-64s, and Typhoon fighter aircraft.

The training scenarios stress-tested each layer of the air defense architecture, including a final simulated defensive layer where Drone Defeat Rounds (DDRs) were fired from a 12-guage shotgun. Each shell contained 720 tungsten pellets that are denser than lead pellets to deliver significantly greater kinetic energy.

The Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center is a forum for testing and developing technologies, tactics, and procedures for countering emerging unmanned aerial system threats. The initiative provides regional partners opportunities to work cooperatively, share best practices, develop technologies, and enhance interoperability.

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