U.S. Military Faces Cost Asymmetry Challenge Against Iran's Cheap Shahed Drones
By
Aaron Brynildson
An everything bagel for the brain. Substantive, layered, well-seasoned.
Summary
The article discusses how the U.S. military, despite its massive budget, struggles to counter low-cost Iranian Shahed drones that cost between $20,000 and $50,000. The U.S. often resorts to firing million-dollar missiles to shoot down these cheap drones, highlighting a significant cost asymmetry and tactical challenge in modern warfare. The piece examines how drone technology has fundamentally changed military dynamics and poses new strategic problems for conventional forces.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledIt may sound hard to believe, but the almost trillion-dollar U.S. military is struggling to fight cheap drones in its war with Iran.
Iran has built a simple drone, the Shahed, with a motorcycle-type engine, loaded it with explosives and successfully targeted its neighbors' cities and power plants.
The drones cost between US $20,000 and $50,000 to build. In response, the U.S. military sometimes fires missiles worth more than $1 million to shoot them down.
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