Dec. 1 (UPI) — U.S. Central Command and Bahrain on Monday opened a bilateral Combined Command Post for air defense at Al Bar Camp, one month after the United States first partnered with Qatar.
Forces from the two nations will staff the site, which will serve as a hub for integrated air defense planning and operations, CENTCOM said in a news release.
Bahrain, which is a major non-NATO ally, hosts the headquarters for the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet and the U.S.-led Combined Maritime Forces, which consists of 47 nations.
There are around 9,000 U.S. servicemembers at locations in Bahrain.
Attending the ribbon cutting were Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander and Bahrain’s Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is the crown prince and deputy supreme commander of Armed Forces.
“Bahrain has been an essential partner in regional security for decades,” Cooper said. “The new Combined Command Post marks a significant step forward in enhancing the regional air defense architecture.”
In July, U.S. and Bahraini officials signed a nuclear cooperation memorandum of understanding to develop nuclear energy at home and abroad ahead of high-level meetings.
After the signing ceremony, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Al Zayani joined President Donald Trump and Al Khalifa.
This is CENTCOM’s second bilateral air defense command post in the Middle East. On Nov. 3, U.S. and Qatari forces opened a post at Al Udeid Air Base, which “will enhance regional security cooperation today and in months and years to come,” Cooper said in a CENTCOM statement.
Al Udeid is the largest American base in the Middle East with 10,000 troops.
CENTCOM, based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., is one of 11 unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. The Area of Responsibility spans 21 nations, including Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.
U.S. service members are from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force.
Established in 1983, CENTCOM has directed Operation Desert Storm in Iraq in 1991, the war in Afghanistan from 2001-2021, Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2023 and Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS in Iraq and Syria starting in 2014.
CENTCOM also was heavily involved in operations related to the conflict between Iran and Israel in June.
The U.S. and Bahrain were among several nations that launched Operation Prosperity Guardian in December 2023 in response to the Houthi maritime shipping attacks in Yemen. The other nations were Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
In April, British forces participated in a joint operation with U.S. forces against a Houthi military target in Yemen.
