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Thursday 1 April 2021 - 21:16

Biden Orders Pentagon to Remove Patriots, Forces Out of Persian Gulf Region, Reports Suggest

Story Code : 924715
Biden Orders Pentagon to Remove Patriots, Forces Out of Persian Gulf Region, Reports Suggest
The Pentagon has moved three Patriot systems out of the region, including one that was located in Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base. It has also moved an aircraft carrier, surveillance systems and other military capabilities out of the Middle East, the report said.

Some of the military hardware could be redeployed to focus on Russia and China, two countries which the Pentagon sees as its primary global competitors, the report said.

US officials are considering proposals to pull additional military equipment out of the region, including a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD anti-missile system, surveillance drones and antimissile batteries.

Part of the rationale for moving the equipment is that the Pentagon wants Saudi Arabia to assume more of the burden of defending its own territory, the report said.

Toward that goal, the Pentagon has assembled a “tiger team” of officials to explore ways to help the kingdom protect its facilities and oil installations. Options under discussion include sales of missile interceptors, expanded intelligence sharing and additional military training, the report said.
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