CENTCOM Commander Builds Maritime Drone Surveillance Network

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, is leading a large-scale US military buildup in the Middle East in January 2026 and has implemented an AI-linked network of unmanned surface vessels since his 2021 maritime command. He helped launch Operation Prosperity Guardian in January 2024, oversaw Operation Poseidon Archer airstrikes in 2024–25, and coordinated the 2025 Midnight Hammer strike on Iranian nuclear sites, increasing US maritime surveillance and readiness against Iran and its proxies.