The United States has deployed the Ukrainian command and control system "Sky Map" at the key Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia after a series of drone and missile attacks, Reuters reports.
The deployment of the system, which has not been publicly announced, shows Ukraine's progress in drone and counter-drone technologies developed during the four-year war with Russia.
In recent weeks, Ukrainian military personnel have arrived at the base to train American servicemen to use Sky Map. The system is widely used in Ukraine to detect incoming drones, including Iranian shaheeds, and to coordinate counterattacks with interceptor drones.
The "Prince Sultan" base is located about 400 miles (640 km) from Iran and has been the target of repeated attacks since the start of the war. Analysts say the use of Ukrainian technology highlights weaknesses in U.S. air and missile defenses.
"There have been long-standing gaps in U.S. missile defense coverage around the world," said Timothy Walton of the Hudson Institute. "This is well understood. However, it has not been addressed."
The development comes a month after President Donald Trump publicly rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's offer of help against Iranian drones. "We don't need their help with drone defense," Trump told Fox News on March 6.
Last month, the Pentagon's counter-drone unit announced it had allocated $350 million to bolster defenses in support of Operation Epic Fury. A spokesman for the unit said new sensors, cameras and interceptors were being provided.
Sky Map is a major Ukrainian platform that combines radar and early warning sensor data, according to sources. Sky Fortress was founded in 2022 by engineers affiliated with the Ukrainian military and has deployed more than 10,000 acoustic sensors in the country.
The base also uses U.S. Merops and Coyote interceptors. During a test earlier this month, a Merops drone lost control and crashed into a toilet at the base, two sources said.
An AWACS E-3 aircraft was destroyed in an attack on March 27, and several KC-135 tanker aircraft were damaged in another strike.