Report: US Military Deploys Ukrainian Anti-Drone System in Saudi Arabia to Fill Middle East Air Defense Gaps
On April 22nd, Reuters reported, citing multiple sources, that the US military recently deployed the Ukrainian-developed "SkyMap" anti-drone command and control system to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia to counter the increasing frequency of drone and missile attacks in the region. This indicates that Ukraine's anti-drone technology, iterated during the war, is being integrated into US defense systems, and also highlights vulnerabilities in US air and missile defense coverage.
A damaged US Boeing E-3 "Sentry" airborne early warning and control aircraft is stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Prince Sultan Air Base is approximately 640 kilometers from Iran. The base has previously been subjected to multiple drone and missile attacks, including those using Shahed drones. Reports indicate that the attacks have resulted in at least one US military personnel death, damage to a Boeing E-3 warning aircraft and multiple KC-135 refueling aircraft, and the destruction of a building supporting a THAAD system radar. To rapidly enhance defensive capabilities, Ukrainian military officials arrived at the base in recent weeks to instruct US personnel on using the "SkyMap" system to detect threats and initiate interceptions. The system was developed by the Ukrainian company Sky Fortress in 2022 and works by integrating radar and sensor data for coordinated counterattacks.
Notably, approximately one month before the US military actually deployed the system, former US President Trump publicly rejected Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s offer of assistance with anti-drone defense on March 6th. The Pentagon and the White House are currently redirecting related inquiries to US Central Command, which manages the base, but Central Command has declined to comment.
Currently, the Pentagon’s counter-drone forces have pledged $350 million to strengthen defenses. In addition to introducing the Ukrainian software platform, Prince Sultan Air Base has also deployed a mix of defensive equipment, including Northrop Grumman’s FAAD command and control platform, and RTX’s “Coyote” interceptors, which recently secured a $5 billion contract with the US Army. Furthermore, Merops interceptor drones developed by Project Eagle, backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, are also in use at the base, but sources reveal that the new interceptors have faced challenges in early testing, with one Merops drone losing control and crashing during testing at the base this month.