The United States is preparing to send an advanced anti-drone system to the Middle East to strengthen its defence capabilities against Iranian drones. The system has already proven effective against Russian drones during the war in Ukraine, The Associated Press reported citing two US officials.ย Although American forces have successfully intercepted Iranian missiles using the Patriot and THAAD missile defence systems, officials admit that the region still lacks reliable tools to counter drone attacks. A US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity to The AP, said existing defences against drones in the Middle East remain limited.
Another US official acknowledged that Washingtonโs response to Iranian Shahed drones has been “disappointing”, especially since the drones deployed by Iran are considered less advanced versions of the ones Russia has been refining and deploying in Ukraine.
Growing concerns over Iranian retaliation
The move to deploy new anti-drone systems reflects growing concerns in Washington about potential retaliation from Iran across the region following recent US and Israeli military strikes. Several Persian Gulf nations have also reportedly expressed frustration, saying they were not given enough time to prepare for the barrage of Iranian missiles and drones targeting parts of the region in recent days.
How the ‘Merops’ system works
The system being deployed is known as ‘Merops’ — a cutting-edge counter-drone technology designed to intercept hostile drones using other drones. The Merops platform is compact enough to fit in the back of a midsize pickup truck. It can detect incoming drones and move in to intercept them using artificial intelligence. The system is designed to function even when satellite signals or electronic communications are disrupted.
Drones are often difficult to detect because radar systems are primarily designed to track high speed missiles. As a result, drones can sometimes be mistaken for birds or small aircraft. Merops is specifically designed to identify and neutralise these threats quickly.
Another advantage is cost efficiency. Instead of firing expensive interceptor missiles costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to destroy a relatively cheap drone worth less than $50,000, the system uses smaller counter drones to eliminate the threat.
US lawmakers flag cost challenge
Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, highlighted the challenge posed by Iranian drones. “We are pretty good at taking missiles down. What is much more problematic for us is the huge inventory of Iranian drones, which are hard to detect and hard to take down.” He added that the situation creates a major financial dilemma for the US military. “It’s really, really expensive to take down a cheap drone. A giant missile going after a tiny little crappy drone,” he added.
Lessons from the Ukraine war
The Merops system has already been deployed in NATO countries such as Poland and Romania after Russian drones repeatedly entered NATO airspace last year. US defence officials say the deployment has provided valuable lessons that are now shaping the American strategy to counter drone threats in the Middle East.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also revealed that Washington has sought Ukraine’s assistance in tackling Iran’s Shahed drones. Russia has used large numbers of these drones during the Ukraine conflict.ย While Zelenskyy did not specify what assistance Ukraine would provide, US officials confirmed that the Merops system forms part of that collaboration.
Systems to be deployed across Middle East
The counter-drone systems will be deployed at multiple locations across the Middle East, including areas where US troops are not currently stationed. Most of the systems will be supplied directly by Perennial Autonomy, the technology company behind Merops. The firm is backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Officials clarified that the deployment will not impact European defences. The company has not yet responded to queries regarding the deployment.
Pentagon acknowledges drone defence challenges
Pentagon officials have privately acknowledged to lawmakers that the US military is struggling to fully counter waves of Iranian drones, leaving certain American targets in the Gulf region vulnerable. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military has taken steps to strengthen protection before launching offensive operations.
“This does not mean we can stop everything, but we ensured that the maximum possible defence and maximum possible force protection was set up before we went on offence,” he told reporters.ย Michael Robbins, president and CEO of drone industry group AUVSI, said recent conflicts highlight the urgent need for more advanced counter-drone technology. According to him, future systems must allow military forces to defend bases and civilian populations without spending massive amounts of money to destroy relatively inexpensive drones.
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