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Following several successive drone and missile attacks on the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, most of which have been claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the U.S. Embassy in the UAE warned U.S. citizens of “reports of a possible missile or drone strike” over Abu Dhabi and asked them to take safety measures. 

The commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced that the U.S. has been working with the UAE to develop counter-drone solutions and thwart attacks before they can be launched, according to wam.ae. 

The UAE is armed with THAAD and Patriot PAC-3 missile defense systems. But drones remain a potent threat.

Meanwhile, in Kuwait, US soldiers with the 4th Infantry Division trained with the Mobile Low, Vehicle Integrated Defense System (M-LIDS) vehicle-mounted counter-drone system last month as part of the multi-national anti-ISIS formation Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria.

The Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle-mounted system uses a combination of sensors to detect aerial threats before disabling them, either through electronic jamming or destroying them with a 30mm cannon or the Coyote small drone.

The system is only a temporary solution for the joint forces, as the military is narrowing its counter-drone options from 40 to 8, and the M-LIDS is not on the list, according to thedefensepost.com.