‘Eyes and Ears on the Water’: Drone Force to Watch Over Region

The United States military is assembling a drone force to watch over the Middle Eastern waterways. Under the aegis of the 5^th Fleet, which is based in Bahrain, the drone fleet will add “eyes and ears on the water” according to Vice Admiral Brad Cooper and reported by AP. Some 100 drones that are “sailable and submersible” will patrol a vast area that ranges from the Suez Canal to the Strait of Hormuz to Bab el-Mandeb strait near Yemen. The primary concern is, of course, Iran and its proxy terrorist forces in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. As a war of drones takes shape, Iran’s developing missile technology is growing exponentially as a threat. Tehran’s arsenal includes ballistic and cruise missiles. In the past few days, a drone that was launched by Iranian-proxy Hizbullah into Israel successfully evaded multiple attempts to bring it down, evoking strong concern in Jerusalem.