Reuters reported on 22/4, citing five sources familiar with the situation, that the US military has deployed the "sky map air defense command system" at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Ukrainian military officials visited the base to train US soldiers on the technology's use.

Sky Map is a product of Sky Fortress, a company founded by Ukrainian engineers in 2022. Its goal is to be a software platform for coordinating efforts to intercept enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The system integrates data from radars and sensors to detect approaching threats.

Prince Sultan Air Base has endured multiple missile and UAV attacks from Iran during the conflict. One E-3 Sentry early warning aircraft was completely destroyed, and another was damaged in an attack on 27/3. Several KC-135 refueling aircraft also sustained losses.

E-3 early warning aircraft hit at Prince Sultan Air Base in an image released on 29/3. *Photo: Reuters*

Satellite images captured by Airbus and released by CNN earlier this month showed the AN/TPY-2 surveillance radar at the base, valued at hundreds of millions of USD and considered the "eye" of the terminal high altitude area defense (THAAD) system, was also scorched after an Iranian attack.

Three informed sources stated that Sky Map is currently the primary command system for the Ukrainian military, widely used to detect UAV threats and launch interceptor drones.

This is one of several new counter-UAV technologies deployed at Prince Sultan Air Base since the conflict erupted in the Middle East. Another is the Merops interceptor drone, developed by the US-based company Project Eagle. Sources revealed that US forces faced challenges during initial testing, with one Merops aircraft losing control and crashing into a restroom facility at the base.

Components of the AN/TPY-2 radar at Prince Sultan Air Base on 29/3. *Photo: Airbus*

US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, and Sky Fortress declined to comment. The Office of the President of Ukraine has not issued a statement.

The Pentagon has increased investment in counter-UAV technology after these weapons proved effective in the Ukraine conflict. However, the deployment of the Sky Map system at Prince Sultan Air Base highlights vulnerabilities in US air defense.

"US air defense systems deployed globally have long had many gaps. This is a well-understood problem, but there is still no solution", said Timothy Walton, an expert at the Hudson Institute in the US.

This information also indicates that the Ukrainian military has made significant advancements in drone and counter-drone capabilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once offered US assistance against Iranian UAVs during an ongoing conflict, but then-President Donald Trump declined.

By Pham Giang (Reuters)