The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), on Jan. 13, announced the launch of a new air defense coordination cell in Qatar. CENTCOM, the U.S. military command that oversees operations in the Middle East, said the new unit is located at the Al Udeid Air Base and will be operated by personnel from the United States and other regional partners. Called the Middle Eastern Air Defense—Combined Defense Operations Cell, the center is situated within the existing Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base. Over the past 20 years, representatives from 17 nations have helped to coordinate air operations from the Combined Air Operations Center. “This is a significant step forward in strengthening regional defense cooperation,” Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement on Tuesday. “This cell will improve how regional forces coordinate and share air and missile defense responsibilities across the Middle East.” CENTCOM and its regional partners have contended with long-range missile and drone attacks in recent years. In April 2024, Iran launched a wave of one-way attack drones and missiles at Israel in response to an apparent Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria. U.S. forces helped blunt that Iranian barrage, with […]