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A drone strike at a US base in Jordan last month killed three service members, an incident attributed to the base’s lack of air defense systems capable of detecting and neutralizing the drone at its low altitude approach.
The US Central Command’s initial findings suggest that the Iranian-made drone evaded detection “due to its low flight path.” The Tower 22 base, lacking significant air defense capabilities, was unable to counter the drone, leading to casualties and over 40 injuries among the personnel.
The attack has prompted a thorough review by CENTCOM, with Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh stating, “We’re still assessing exactly what happened in that attack. And of course, CENTCOM and the [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin] will determine if there’s any change or needs to be any change to our defensive posture at Tower 22 or any other base in the region.”
Singh further addressed concerns about the presence and adequacy of air defenses at US bases in the Middle East, emphasizing operational security and the strategic importance of the current troop deployments in combating ISIS. “Across Iraq and Syria and Jordan, the mission of the service members is the defeat ISIS mission. So moving our troops and our service members into different areas takes away from their mission,” she explained, highlighting the balance between force protection and mission objectives.
