TAMPA, Fla. — Leaders from the U.S. Central Command visited with members of the Saudi Royal Armed Forces on July 20 and 21.
Gen. Michael "Erik" Kurilla, CENTCOM commander; Charles "Brad" Cooper, Navy Central commander and Lt. Gen. Pat Frank, Army Central commander took a trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of a multi-country trip to the CENTCOM area of responsibility, according to a news release.
This area spans more than 4 million square miles and includes 21 nations across Northeast Africa, the Middle East and Central and South Asia.
During the trip, Kurilla visited multiple military sites as well as the US-Saudi Combined Expeditionary – Robotics Operations Center.
This visit, the second by Gen. Kurilla, demonstrates the important relationship between the the U.S. and Saudi Royal Armed Forces, the release read. They've had a codified security cooperation with the U.S. since 1951 and fought alongside the U.S. military during Operation Desert Storm, the military operation to expel occupying Iraqi forces from Kuwait in the 1990s.
Gen. Kurilla met with Gen. Fayyadh al-Ruwaili, Chief of General staff as well as other Saudi senior military leaders, according to the release. Together, they discussed opportunities to strengthen regional cooperation and ways to enhance security using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technology.
“The Saudis are all-in on partnering for innovation,” said Kurilla. “They understand the technology, the application of that technology, and they are leaning forward on its implementation. The Kingdom is poised for the future, and I look forward to a continued military partnership.”
Kurilla also made his way to a Saudi Patriot battery defending Jeddah from missiles, rockets and unmanned aerial systems, the release read.
