US CENTCOM, Qatar launch first joint air defence command post in Middle East PHOTO

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and Qatar have inaugurated the region’s first bilateral Combined Command Post for air defence at Al Udeid Air Base, marking a new milestone in military cooperation between the two partners.

According to CENTCOM, Commander Adm. Brad Cooper and Chief of Staff of the Qatar Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Jassim Al-Mannai officially opened the facility during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 3.

“The military-to-military relationship with Qatar is stronger than ever,” said Cooper.

“The new Combined Command Post for air defence will enhance regional security cooperation today and in months and years to come.”

The creation of the new centre became possible after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month requiring a response to any future attacks on Qatar with “diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military” measures.

The order, signed on September 29, 2025, came just weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a strike on a Hamas delegation in Doha that had been holding ceasefire talks with the United States over the Gaza conflict.

By Aghakazim Guliyev