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US Military "Rearming and Retooling" During West Asia Ceasefire, Says CENTCOM

During a press briefing on Operation Epic Fury, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper stated US forces are using the two-week ceasefire with Iran to rearm, retool, and adjust military tactics and procedures. He highlighted the deployment of new technologies, including AI for intelligence analysis and one-way attack drones, while emphasizing humans remain in the decision-making loop. Cooper also asserted that military partnerships with Gulf allies are stronger than ever following joint operations. Concurrently, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned the maritime blockade against Iran will continue and forces are prepared to resume strikes if a peace agreement is not reached.

Key Points: US Adjusts Tactics in West Asia Ceasefire, CENTCOM Says

  • US using ceasefire to rearm and adjust tactics
  • AI employed to sift intelligence with human oversight
  • Regional military partnerships called "stronger than ever"
  • Maritime blockade on Iran to be maintained indefinitely
  • Forces ready to restart strikes if peace deal fails
3 min read

Op Epic Fury: CENTCOM Commander says military 're-arming, retooling, adjusting techniques' during ceasefire

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper details how US forces are using the ceasefire to rearm, retool, and adjust tactics with AI and new tech.

"My personal assessment is that our troops are highly motivated, focused, vigilant, and ready. - Admiral Brad Cooper"

Washington DC, April 16

As the delicate two-week ceasefire remains in place between the US and Iran over the military operations in West Asia, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper said on Thursday that the military is continually adjusting its tactics and techniques in this timeframe.

Admiral Cooper made the remarks during the recent press briefing on Operation Epic Fury.

He told the press that in the two-week ceasefire window, the troops remain highly motivated and working towards adjusting their procedures.

"My personal assessment is that our troops are highly motivated, focused, vigilant, and ready. They are using this time to do a couple of things- we're rearming, we're retooling, and we're adjusting our tactics, techniques and procedures. There's no military in the world that adjusts as we do, and that's exactly what we're doing right now during the ceasefire."

His remarks come after the US said it would cease its attacks on Iranian infrastructure in the region during the ceasefire window.

Admiral Cooper also mentioned that during his visit to West Asia, he spent time with troops who are employing cutting-edge tactics and technology for the first time in warfare, met teams who launched one-way attack drones into Iran, teams employing AI to "sift through vast amounts of information to help us make decisions faster"--noting that humans are always in the loop in this process.

He also met air defenders who shot down Iranian ballistic missiles.

Speaking about the regional allies and partners of the United States in the region and how he interacted with both senior civilian-level and senior military-level officials, Admiral Cooper said that US military partnerships remain "stronger than ever".

He said, "Having now fought together side-by-side, I assess that our military partnerships are stronger than ever as we continue to maintain a very active defence posture across the region during this ceasefire. That posture stretches across the entire Arabian Peninsula, and it runs from Northern Iraq all the way down into the Northern Arabian Gulf. In creating the largest air defence umbrella in the world across the Middle East, we embedded specially trained US military air defenders alongside our partner nation soldiers side-by-side. Literally side-by-side."

He noted that Gulf leaders expressed appreciation for the service members in the region and reiterated how "Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Jordan have been exceptional teammates."

At the briefing, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned during a Pentagon briefing on Thursday, asserting that the maritime blockade against Iran will be maintained "for as long as it takes."

Secretary Hegseth cautioned that American forces are prepared to restart military strikes should Tehran decline a potential peace agreement. "For as long as it takes, we will maintain this successful blockade," he stated, reiterating that the "US is reloading with more power than before."

The latest briefing comes after Gen Caine and Hegseth held their last public briefing about the conflict in West Asia earlier on April 8.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The mention of AI and one-way attack drones is chilling. Technology is advancing warfare in scary ways. As a tech professional, I believe AI should be for development, not for sifting information to make faster combat decisions. Hope India maintains its focus on strategic autonomy and doesn't get pulled into such conflicts.
R
Rohit P
The US maintaining a blockade "for as long as it takes" is a stark reminder of their power projection. While stability in the Gulf is crucial for our energy security, this endless cycle of ceasefire and preparation for war is exhausting. India has done well to maintain relations with all sides. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
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Sarah B
Reading this from an Indian perspective, it's a delicate situation. Millions of Indian expats work in the Gulf nations mentioned. Their safety and the smooth flow of oil are paramount. The US's military partnerships there are a reality, but diplomacy must be the ultimate tool. A respectful criticism: the tone feels more like a show of strength than a search for peace.
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Vikram M
"Stronger than ever" partnerships with Gulf nations is interesting. Many of those countries are also strong partners of India. Our diplomacy has to be very nimble to navigate this. The world doesn't need another full-scale war. Hope the ceasefire holds and leads to real talks.
K
Karthik V
The Admiral's pride in "adjusting tactics" is clear. But every adjustment on one side leads to a counter-adjustment on the other. It's an arms race in real time. As a developing nation, India's priority must remain on its own growth and security, learning from these events but staying firmly out of them.

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