Washington: The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Tuesday the opening of a new air defense operations cell at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Command stated in a press release that this step aims to enhance coordination and cooperation in air and missile defense with Washington’s partners in the Middle East.

The new cell, MED-CDOC, operates within the Combined Air Operations Center and includes the United States and partner nations. The US military had previously opened a joint air defense command center with Qatar in November 2025.