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US military eyes counter-drone experimentation in Saudi Arabia

US Central Command is moving ahead with plans to help enable shared air and missile defense across the Middle East.

drone attack
A picture shows a storage facility of oil giant ADNOC in the Msaffah industrial district in the Emiarti capital Abu Dhabi on Jan. 17, 2022. Three people were killed that day in a suspected drone attack that set off a blast and a fire in Abu Dhabi. — AFP via Getty Images

Despite the uproar on Capitol Hill and rare public criticism from the White House, the OPEC+ dispute between the Biden administration and Saudi Arabia has so far not inhibited regular military coordination with Riyadh, US officials say.

One of US Central Command’s top priorities – convincing Middle Eastern states to stitch together their air and missile defense networks for collective protection against Iran – remains fully on the table, two US military officials close to the discussions informed Al-Monitor.

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