U.S. Navy Trains Mobile Counter-Drone Defense With Bahrain as UAV Threats Rise.

The U.S. Navy released images on January 26, 2026, showing a mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle using a counter-drone launcher during a bilateral exercise in Bahrain. The training highlights how countering low-cost aerial threats has become a core mission for U.S. and partner forces operating in the Gulf.

Newly released U.S. Navy imagery from a training range in Bahrain offers a rare look at a mobile counter-unmanned aerial system in action, as a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle tracked and engaged a light fixed-wing aerial target. The event took place during a bilateral exercise conducted under U.S. Central Command, involving U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the Bahrain Defense Force, according to Navy officials. The sequence shows the vehicle’s launcher elevated toward the target, illustrating how mobile air defense assets are increasingly integrated into joint force training across the region.
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A MRAP vehicle fitted with a Mobile Low Slow Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System launcher fires a counter-drone interceptor at a fixed-wing target during a training exercise in Bahrain.  (Picture source: US DoD)

The exercise takes place in a regional environment characterized by the rapid spread of small unmanned aerial systems. Commercially derived drones, modified platforms, and rudimentary fixed-wing systems are now regularly observed and used for reconnaissance, target cueing, or low-cost attack missions. Within this context, Bahrain’s role as host to the U.S. Fifth Fleet and as a key logistical hub for coalition operations gives particular relevance to counter-drone training. The bilateral format enables Bahraini and U.S. forces to test shared procedures from detection to engagement, while strengthening interoperability under realistic operational conditions.

The platform employed is an Oshkosh M-ATV Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle, selected for its balance of protection, mobility, and payload capacity. The M-ATV is powered by a Caterpillar C7 diesel engine producing approximately 370 horsepower and uses the TAK-4 independent suspension system, allowing sustained mobility in desert terrain. It can exceed speeds of 100 km/h and offers a range of around 500 kilometers. Its payload capacity supports the integration of heavy sensors and effectors without a major impact on tactical maneuverability.

The onboard system is the Mobile Low Slow Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS), developed by the U.S. Army to address drones operating at low altitude and low speed. This solution integrates the full detection, identification, and engagement chain on a single vehicle, reducing reaction times against targets appearing at short range. M-LIDS is intended to protect forward bases, convoys, and sensitive sites that fall outside the optimal coverage of conventional air defense systems.

M-LIDS incorporates an RPS-42 Ku-band radar with an active electronically scanned array, optimized for detecting targets with very low radar cross sections. Depending on target size and flight profile, the radar can track micro and mini-drones at low altitude over distances of several kilometers. This sensor is paired with an electro-optical and infrared turret that provides day and night visual identification, a necessary step for threat classification in congested airspace.

The kinetic engagement observed during the exercise relies on the use of an FIM-92 Stinger missile adapted for counter-unmanned aerial system missions. Using a passive infrared seeker, the Stinger offers an effective range of roughly 4 to 6 kilometers against slow and lightly maneuvering aerial targets. In the counter-drone role, it allows engagement of drones beyond the reach of electronic warfare measures or those less affected by jamming. M-LIDS can also integrate non-kinetic effectors designed to disrupt drone command links or satellite navigation signals.

The M-LIDS architecture is based on close digital integration between sensors, effectors, and the fire control station. This setup supports autonomous operation from the vehicle or connectivity to a wider command and control network for sharing local air situation data. In environments where drones, helicopters, and manned aircraft operate simultaneously at low altitude, such coordination helps reduce identification errors and supports safer operations.

At the tactical level, the mobile configuration of M-LIDS on an M-ATV provides flexibility that fixed systems cannot offer. The vehicle can escort convoys exposed to surveillance drones, rapidly reposition to cover different sectors of a base, or be temporarily deployed to protect ports, airfields, or naval installations. This mobility complicates adversary planning by reducing predictable engagement zones, although limitations remain when facing saturation attacks or large numbers of low-cost drones.

At the geopolitical level, the joint training goes beyond a purely technical or tactical demonstration. By incorporating counter-drone capabilities into bilateral exercises, the United States and Bahrain signal a shared intent to secure maritime routes, naval footholds, and critical infrastructure in a region affected by persistent tensions. As unmanned systems continue to spread among state and non-state actors, this type of cooperation contributes to collective resilience and reflects ongoing adaptation of air defense approaches to a threat that has become a regular feature of contemporary conflicts.