(Stars and Stripes) J.P. Lawrence - A sign warning troops about the aerial drones now used by U.S. rivals in the Middle East greets arrivals to Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, a key American military transit hub. "When you see a drone, call security forces immediately," it says in all caps at the inprocessing building. Iran's robust drone and missile systems are forcing the U.S. and its allies to bolster their air defense systems. A $2.4 million project aims to renovate the base's air raid bunkers, drawing lessons from a Jan. 8, 2020, attack on U.S. troops in Iraq, said Lt.-Col. Tito Ruiz, security forces commander for the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. An Iranian missile attack at Al Asad Air Base caused more than 100 traumatic brain injuries that were tied to blast waves, which echoed and were amplified throughout the bunkers. Army engineers have designed new bunkers for forward bases, with steel doors on both ends, which they say will reduce the peak pressures of blast waves from missile strikes by 90%.
2022-12-08 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive