Military Watch Magazine
The publication of Chinese commercial satellite imagery has exposed the exact positioning of U.S. Army MIM-104 Patriot air defence systems at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which is one of multiple facilities at the forefront of the U.S.-led military buildup currently being staged near Iran. This closely follows the publication of Chinese commercial satellite imagery from the MizarVision satellite company confirming the deployment of a U.S. Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. It also follows statements by Pentagon sources highlighting the importance of strengthening defence around key nodes in the power projection network before launching offensives, with one source stressing: “Before any potential action against Iran, we need to bolster our defences.” The U.S. Navy has also surged deployments of Arleigh Burke class AEGIS destroyers optimised for missile defence operations to the Middle East.