NYT: War with Iran Exposes the Decline of the U.S. Military
Tehran - BORNA - The New York Times wrote with this introduction: despite all of Trump's claims about the destruction of Iran's defense and military systems, this country has performed very strongly. This fact reveals the vulnerabilities of the American method of warfare. Tactical success has not led to victory. U.S. President Donald Trump’s recklessness in leading the war is one of the reasons. The problem goes beyond Trump's performance or mistakes and is rooted in U.S. structures, military culture, or grand strategy. The United States has not prepared itself for modern war.
The American newspaper stated: The U.S. has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on ships and aircraft that were ineffective against cheaper, mass-produced weapons. The U.S. economy does not possess the industrial capacity required to produce enough of the weapons and equipment it truly needs, and an irresponsible government and a consolidated defense industry that resists change have not been successful.
Three months ago, before the start of the illegal aggression, Trump was warned that the United States was at risk of losing future wars. The past two months have shown that the warning was timely. The war in Iran, however unwise, should serve as a warning regarding the growing threats to U.S. security and be an incentive to resolve those problems.
The U.S. has suffered heavy losses in the battle with Iran. The country's military lacks anti-drone technologies, and the absence of such defense systems is one of the reasons the U.S. Navy has been unable to prevent the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. also needs more low-cost, disposable weapons, such as single-use attack drones and unmanned ships, but the Pentagon, instead of using these cheap weapons, is spending more on much more complex equipment, including the pilotless "Wingman" that can fly alongside a piloted aircraft.
The United States also needs a more flexible and larger industrial capacity, but such a capability has not yet been implemented in the country; for example, there is only one factory that produces all Tomahawk cruise missiles, and there is a constant shortage of Patriot missile interceptors. It is the duty of Congress to pass laws to help the private sector develop production capacity, and the Pentagon must stop purchasing its main weapons from only five factories and move toward the dynamism of other weapon-producing plants, none of which has been realized so far.
Washington must cooperate with other industrial democracies. Trump's pleas to reopen the Strait of Hormuz have turned into begging the same allies he rejected at the start of the war against Iran, and this issue proves the reality that the U.S. cannot act alone.
The war against Iran is a roadmap for any country that wants to stand against the U.S. in the future, including Russia and North Korea. For China, the country with the most potential to challenge U.S. military power, this war confirms its focus on new forms of warfare such as drones, cyber weapons, and space power.
Trump's chaotic and destructive approach to governance has destroyed much of the military's modernization efforts. He has ordered a new and expensive fleet, namely "Trump-class" cruisers, which are vulnerable to air attacks. The Secretary of War is in conflict with almost all military leaders. In April, the government proposed a $1.5 trillion budget that is likely to exacerbate the military's deficiencies instead of strengthening its points of power.
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