Ankara: US and Saudi forces have completed the largest live-fire counter-drone exercise ever held in the Middle East, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Wednesday: The multi-day event at the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center in Saudi Arabia began Sept. 7 at the Shamal-2 Range and brought together more than 300 personnel fielding 20 counter-unmanned aerial systems, according to a statement posted on the US social media company X's platform. According to Anadolu Agency, the exercise coincided with a visit by Admiral Brad Cooper, the new CENTCOM commander, on his first regional trip since taking command. Cooper was joined by Gen. Fayyadh bin Hamed Raqed Al-Ruwaili, Chief of the General Staff for the Royal Saudi Armed Forces, at Red Sands. Cooper emphasized the importance of working with regional partners to address challenges posed by the proliferation of advanced drones. The US military has long highlighted the dangers posed by Iran and its proxies, who have launched numerous attack drones and m issiles in recent years, impacting civilians and destabilizing the region. This year's iteration of Red Sands, the fourth since its launch in 2023, showcased advances in rapid prototyping and integrated defensive tactics. US and Saudi forces linked radar and sensors such as the Signal Hunter and the Buffer Passive Acoustic Detection System to quickly identify simulated air threats. The exercise featured a range of defenses, from electronic warfare systems to close-in responses. Simulated engagements included US AC-130 gunships and AH-64 Apache helicopters alongside Saudi F-15s, Typhoons, and AH-64s. In the final defensive layer, participants tested Drone Defeat Rounds fired from shotguns, designed to neutralize hostile drones. CENTCOM described Red Sands as a platform for developing and testing new technologies, tactics, and procedures to counter the threat of unmanned aerial systems while enhancing cooperation among regional partners.