The United States is leveraging Ukraine’s Sky Map system at its Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, highlighting Ukraine’s advancements in counter-drone technology.
Ukraine’s Drone Defense Expertise
The use of Ukraine’s Sky Map system by the United States at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia demonstrates that Ukraine, defending itself against mass drone attacks from Russia, has significantly surpassed other nations in drone countermeasure technologies.
Iranian Destabilization and Ukraine’s Offer of Assistance
Following attacks by the US and Israel on Iran on February 28th, Tehran adopted a strategy of regional destabilization, deploying drones and missiles towards Gulf states, targeting infrastructure and American bases. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered assistance, stating that 11 regional countries requested anti-drone systems.
Kyiv dispatched experts to the region to assist with implementation.
Trump Rejects Ukrainian Assistance
A significant shift occurred on March 6th when US President Donald Trump publicly declined Zelensky’s offer of help, stating, “We don’t need their help in drone defense,” during a Fox News interview.
Ukrainian Training of US Personnel
In recent weeks, Ukrainian military personnel have arrived in Saudi Arabia to train Americans on the use of the Sky Map system. The system is developed by Sky Fortress, a Ukrainian firm founded by military-affiliated engineers who have deployed over 10,000 acoustic sensors in Ukraine to detect drone sounds, such as those of Iranian Shaheds.
Pentagon Investment and Existing Systems
The Pentagon is increasing investment in counter-drone technologies, allocating $350 million for this purpose under Operation Epic Fury. At Prince Sultan Air Base, the US is also utilizing the Merops system from Project Eagle.
Previous Drone Attacks on the Base
The base had previously faced waves of drone and missile attacks following the outbreak of war, resulting in damage to an E-3 AWACS radar plane, KC-135 tanker aircraft, and a tent housing radar systems.
