Red Sands 2025: U.S. and Saudi Arabia test 20 counter-drone systems in record Middle East drills.

According to information published by U.S. Central Command on September 17, 2025, the United States and Saudi Arabia have completed the largest counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) live-fire exercise ever conducted in the Middle East. Held at the Shamal-2 range in northeastern Saudi Arabia, the Red Sands 2025 exercise brought together more than 300 U.S. and Saudi Arabia military personnel and fielded 20 advanced C-UAS platforms. The operation marks a major milestone in bilateral defense cooperation, reinforcing a rapidly growing regional focus on neutralizing the evolving threat of drone warfare.
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A U.S. Army Mobile Low, Slow, Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (MLIDS) vehicle equipped with counter-drone sensors and weapons. Similar systems were fielded during the Red Sands 2025 exercise in Saudi Arabia.  (Picture source: U.S. Department of War)

This high-intensity training is not an abstract demonstration of military technology. It is a direct response to the increasing weaponization of drones across the Middle East, particularly by Iran and its network of regional proxies. Over the past five years, drone and missile attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria have increased in both frequency and complexity. The September 2019 coordinated strike on Saudi Aramco facilities in Abqaiq and Khurais, attributed to Iranian-made drones and cruise missiles, exposed critical gaps in the region’s air defense and sent global oil markets into turmoil. More recently, in late 2023, a wave of one-way explosive drones launched from Yemen targeted Riyadh’s King Khalid Air Base, demonstrating how non-state actors continue to adapt and expand their drone capabilities.

Red Sands 2025, conducted from September 7 to 14, 2025, directly addresses these threats through the deployment of multi-layered, networked defenses. Among the confirmed systems tested were short-range radar and electro-optical platforms such as Shikra and Skyguard, along with passive RF sensors like Signal Hunter and acoustic detection systems including the BPADS array. These platforms were fully integrated into a joint C2 network that enabled rapid identification and elimination of aerial threats in real time. A final close-in defensive layer included shotgun-fired Drone Defeat Rounds (DDRs), dispersing tungsten pellets to stop low-flying drones attempting to breach inner perimeters.

Red Sands also featured integrated command and control systems and shooters such as the Vanguard system, a scalable firing solution for eliminating drone swarms. Other ground-based counter-unmanned aerial systems included Skyguard, Shikra, the Mobile-Low, Slow, Unmanned Integrated Defeat System known as “MLIDS,” and electronic warfare options designed to jam or disrupt drone control links and GPS navigation.

Live-fire drills involved full-spectrum air-ground coordination, with U.S. AC-130 gunships and Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets providing responsive kinetic coverage. Apache helicopters from both countries supported precision engagements against maneuvering drone targets in both open and urban terrain, testing real-world interoperability in a contested environment.

Understanding the Systems Behind the Firepower

Vanguard, introduced during Red Sands as a scalable drone swarm defeat solution, is a modular launcher platform capable of engaging multiple drones simultaneously. It integrates with sensor networks and is built for both static and mobile defense scenarios, enabling high-volume response to saturation attacks.

MLIDS, or Mobile-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System, was deployed as a tactical mobile platform. Mounted on armored vehicles, it combines radar, EO/IR sensors, and RF jamming to detect and defeat Group 1 and Group 2 drones. Its modular setup allows fast adaptation to forward-operating bases or convoys under threat.

Shikra, developed by Leonardo, is a short-range 3D radar designed to detect low-flying drones and loitering munitions. It was used in Red Sands to track difficult targets with small radar cross-sections and relay targeting data to gun or missile systems in real time.

Skyguard, a proven SHORAD solution from Rheinmetall, featured twin 35mm cannons equipped with AHEAD programmable airburst ammunition. This system is optimized for intercepting drones and other fast, low-altitude threats, and was employed during the drills as a direct-fire intercept layer within the joint kill chain.

A Strategic Inflection Point for U.S. Force Posture in the Gulf

Red Sands 2025 is more than a tactical event. It has become central to the U.S. military’s doctrinal shift toward defending against small, inexpensive, and highly maneuverable drones. As adversaries increase their use of one-way attack drones and low-observable platforms, CENTCOM is adapting with scalable, mobile, and AI-enhanced defensive solutions. The exercise illustrates how future U.S. presence in the region will emphasize speed, modularity, and partner-enabled operations.

The Pentagon’s Integrated Deterrence framework is being visibly executed through Red Sands, showcasing how multinational kill chains, sensor fusion, and distributed fires will define next-generation operations. Integrating Saudi assets into the kill web demonstrates operational trust and shared technical capability.

Looking Ahead: A Regional Template for Drone Defense

Red Sands 2025 is already shaping future military planning in the region. Defense officials confirmed that upcoming iterations may include Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and potentially Kuwait under the expanding U.S.-led Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) framework. With regional airspace increasingly saturated by asymmetric threats, Red Sands provides a model for integrated, multinational air defense cooperation.

Saudi Arabia is now evaluating long-term procurement options and exploring local manufacturing partnerships to expand its drone defense portfolio. Protecting energy infrastructure, ports, and key military installations from drone attacks is now a core strategic priority, and Red Sands has given Riyadh an operational roadmap to build from.

For the United States, the exercise provides a critical venue to test emerging systems, validate new doctrine, and strengthen bilateral command relationships. Red Sands is no longer just an exercise. It is the front line of 21st-century defense against a growing threat, one that is cheap, fast, and increasingly lethal.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.