US trains on transfer of operations out of Qatar

Washington’s test-transfer of US Air Force operations from Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar to Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina is part of a US effort to adjust to emerging threats and new military realities, analysts said.

For 24 hours in September, control of the operations was transferred from the Combined Air and Space Operations Centre (CAOC) at Al Udeid to Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

The United States’ move came after weeks of increased tensions between Washington and Tehran. The September 14 Saudi Aramco attack and June 20 Iranian downing of a US drone have raised concerns among US military officials about a possible Iranian strike on US interests in the region.

Read the full story in The Arab Weekly.