U.S. Central Command is planning to establish a new facility in Saudi Arabia that will test new military technologies designed to counter threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles, NBC reported Wednesday.
The military testing facility, which is still in the early planning stage, will be called Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center and is envisioned to support the development and testing of air and missile defense capabilities.
Defense officials familiar with the matter said the exact location of the facility has not been finalized but acknowledged that Saudi Arabia has the space needed to test signal-jamming, directed energy and other electronic warfare capabilities without interfering with the civilian population.
CENTCOM’s area of responsibility covers the Middle East and Iran, whose ballistic missile arsenal and drone fleet have grown in recent years.
Related Articles
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order approving a proposed deal that would keep video-sharing platform TikTok operational in the U.S. while protecting national security. Engage with U.S. military leaders and top industry experts at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 GovCon International and Global Defense Summit as they tackle global defense challenges, from supply chain risks to sanctions and international regulations. Save your spot now for this Oct. 16 event to gain critical insights and connect with key decision-makers! ‘Qualified Divestiture’ of TikTok’s US Operations In a fact sheet published Thursday, the White House said TikTok’s U.S. operations would
Retired Vice Adm. Scott Pappano has been confirmed as principal deputy administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration. According to Congress records, legislators voted 51-47 to appoint Pappano. He also confirmed his new position in a LinkedIn post Thursday. Who Is Scott Pappano? President Donald Trump nominated Pappano to be principal deputy administrator for NNSA in February. Pappano is a seasoned military leader who most recently served as principal military deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition. He also held leadership positions at the Special Operations Forces Mobility Program Office and the Strategic and Attack Submarine
The General Services Administration and xAI have signed an agreement to make the latter’s Grok frontier artificial intelligence models available to federal agencies through March 2027. GSA said Thursday the partnership with xAI is part of the agency’s OneGov initiative, which aims to simplify the procurement of AI tools to help accelerate federal AI adoption. The new deal is reportedly the lowest price yet for an AI offering through the partnership. “Widespread access to advanced AI models is essential to building the efficient, accountable government that taxpayers deserve—and to fulfilling President Trump’s promise that America will win the global AI