From September 7 to 14, 2025, U.S. and Saudi military forces completed Red Sands 2025, the largest counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) live-fire exercise ever held in the Middle East. Conducted at the Shamal-2 range in northeastern Saudi Arabia, the exercise involved over 300 personnel and fielded 20 advanced C-UAS platforms, testing multi-layered air defenses against increasingly sophisticated drone threats.
Key systems included Shikra short-range radars, Skyguard twin 35mm cannons with programmable airburst rounds, MLIDS mobile radar-jamming vehicles, and the Vanguard modular drone-swarm launcher. The drill integrated Saudi F-15s and Typhoons, U.S. AC-130 gunships, and Apache helicopters to provide kinetic coverage, demonstrating real-world interoperability.
The exercise responded to a surge in drone attacks across the region, notably Iranian and proxy operations targeting critical infrastructure. Red Sands 2025 also served as a platform to refine AI-enabled, networked air defenses, integrating sensors and shooters into a coordinated kill chain. Future iterations may expand to include Bahrain, UAE, Jordan, and Kuwait under U.S.-led Integrated Air and Missile Defense planning.
For Saudi Arabia, the exercise informs long-term procurement and local production strategies, while for the U.S., it validates doctrine, emerging technology, and partner integration, underscoring the growing emphasis on counter-drone capabilities in the Gulf.
