WSJ: America’s military is dangerously exposed

Pic.: WSJ

Iranian attacks against U.S. military bases in the Middle East, including recently in Jordan, highlight the growing threat from adversary missiles and drones. Yet the U.S. isn’t sufficiently prepared to defend its overseas bases, critical infrastructure and personnel. U.S. sites across the Pacific are particularly vulnerable to Chinese and North Korean attacks — as are U.S. locations in the Middle East. The choice before Congress and the Pentagon is clear: Spend the money now to protect these facilities or face a much more serious problem in the future, The Wall Street Journal notes.

Since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, Iran has conducted more than 2,000 air, missile and drone strikes across the Middle East, damaging at least 20 sites in eight countries used by the U.S. military. Iran has so far caused as much as $13 billion to the U.S. alone in equipment losses and facility damage. In total, Iran has damaged or destroyed more than 42 U.S. military aircraft, several of which were parked on air bases.

The recent Iranian strikes on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan killed three U.S. soldiers and damaged airfield hangars and other infrastructure. In Qatar, the U.S. Combined Air Operations Center has sustained severe damage. Iranian strikes wounded U.S. personnel and damaged aircraft in Saudi Arabia. In Bahrain, Iran hit the headquarters of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, radar, satellite communications dishes and warehouses. Iran also targeted U.S. aircraft hangars and satellite communications systems in Kuwait. In addition, Iran and its partner forces targeted the U.S. Embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq, as well as the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, among others.

U.S. infrastructure’s vulnerability to these sorts of strikes shouldn’t have been a surprise. Since the full-scale war in Ukraine began in February 2022, advancements in drone and missile warfare have pushed both Ukraine and Russia to take extensive steps to protect bases and critical infrastructure. Ukraine significantly increased its deployment of surface-to-air missile systems, counterdrone systems, electronic warfare and sensors to detect, shoot down or jam incoming projectiles. Ukraine has also built physical barriers to protect against Russian strikes, including antidrone netting and layers of concrete. It has even dug underground facilities for critical infrastructure such as command-and-control headquarters and defense factories.

The U.S. has been too slow to learn from the war in Ukraine and protect its bases and other infrastructure in the Middle East. The challenge in the Pacific is much greater. China presents a more serious threat than Iran with a larger and more capable stockpile of drones and cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles. U.S. military bases and other infrastructure across the Pacific — from Japan and the Philippines to Guam and South Korea — are highly vulnerable to Chinese and North Korean missiles and drones.

The U.S. needs to get serious about protecting its critical infrastructure. The first urgent step is increasing active defenses, which include air-defense systems that can identify, shoot down or otherwise disrupt incoming missiles and drones. Examples include upper-range systems like Patriot air-defense systems, which are already in short supply; medium-range systems such as the Indirect Fire Protection Capability system for cruise missiles; and short-range systems such as the Coyote and Merops system to counter drones. In addition, directed-energy weapons, such as high-energy lasers and high-power microwave systems, can be useful against incoming drones. So can radio-frequency jamming and electronic warfare systems.

The U.S. has already paid a huge price for being unprepared in a world where drones and missiles are ubiquitous. Will the U.S. military learn before the price escalates? The Chinese, Iranians, North Koreans and Russians are waiting to see.

...Americans long considered their army "invincible." But now they're faced with new principles of warfare, and it's quickly become clear that the US Army isn't ready for these new challenges. This realization has already sent Trump into a frenzy and NATO partners into a frustrated disappointment.

We'll see what happens next...

read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs