While the United States’ armada is far more enormous than that of any other country in contention, the recent military conflict with Iran has placed the star-spangled nation in possible jeopardy. The economic costs of the war are steadily rising. The first four days of the conflict alone reportedly cost the US thousands of crores of rupees, and this burden is expected to increase further as the fighting continues at the same pace.
According to reports, the US has spent approximately $3.7 billion in only the first 100 hours of the war. This means the US is spending nearly $891 million per day, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank.
Experts have pointed out that the initial phase of wars is often the most expensive, as it includes mobilisation costs and the deployment of sophisticated and costly weapons. It is possible that these factors are contributing to the economic toll currently being experienced by the United States.
Iran’s Special Strategy Against the US
Iran is possibly operating under the assumption that the conflict will last longer than the US expects. As a result, it has increasingly relied on the use of cheaper but lethal drones. These drones are designed for one-way attacks and explode upon impact with their targets.
Drone manufacturers have pointed out that the cost of intercepting a drone is often much higher than the cost of manufacturing and launching one. As a result, the economic burden of each strike and interception is very different for the two countries.
One of the drone series most widely used is the Shahed drone series. These triangular-shaped “loitering munitions” hover over a target before striking and exploding on impact. The drones, approximately 11 feet long, can be launched from trucks, making them relatively easy to conceal.
A Single Iranian Drone Costs the US $3 Million in Damage?
Drones like the Shahed-136 drone have an effective range of 2,500 km, allowing them to target large areas across West Asia. Reports suggest that the cost of a single drone is about $50,000. However, the Patriot air defence system used by the US costs over $3 million per interceptor missile. This means it can cost many times more to shoot down a relatively inexpensive drone.
Media reports suggest that the US is now exploring more cost-effective ways of conducting operations. The United States Department of Defense has initiated plans to develop inexpensive interceptor drones. Reports also indicate that the US development project LUCAS drone interceptor program is based partly on the concept of low-cost Iranian drones. The estimated cost is around $35,000, making it significantly cheaper than the interceptor missiles generally used.
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