U.S. Defense Ministry together with Air Force do not plan to build aircraft shelters at airbases and want instead to focus on creating so-called point defense forces — this involves specially trained military with corresponding assets, who should with high effectiveness level protect airbases from long-range strike drone attacks. However, U.S. military specialists are confident that for full combat against such threat this will be insufficient, and secret of success lies in comprehensive measures.
This topic is relevant for U.S. not only relying on russian-Ukrainian war conclusions, but also due to range of precedents when over recent years there were numerous cases when drones of unknown origin were recorded over American military facilities. And also already own experience of war in iran, where Shaheds threatened and caused harm to U.S. military and destroyed their weapons and military equipment.
Read more: U.S. PAC-3 Patriot Interceptor Stocks Cut by Two-Thirds After Iran War, Just 13 Missiles Per System Means Only 2 of 6-8 Launchers Can Be Fully Loaded
At the same time, Houston Cantwell, retired brigadier general, and now senior researcher at Mitchell Institute, as Air and Space Forces Magazine publication reports, emphasized that only defending is a priori losing strategy. And although he thanked U.S. Air Force for efforts they undertake today for protection from threats, he expressed doubts this involves quick reaction: "This seems to be just a bureaucratic response to something."
In his advice he expresses proposal that U.S. Air Force should, firstly, build multilevel protection of their facilities, paying attention to comprehensive solutions including training, equipping units not only with engagement assets but also newest technologies for detection, identification and tracking of strike drones.
And, secondly, he believes U.S. Air Force should also have ready plan for offensive strikes on adversary production capacities that manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles.
Defense Express notes this may be genuinely effective solution against rapidly scaling threats. But, as experience of same war in iran shows, adversaries can adapt even to such conditions — at least partially. Yes, this requires time and funds, but production dispersal, creating underground facilities — this is what enables production to survive under conditions when adversary has significant quantity of powerful long-range weapons stocks in its arsenal.
For example, despite U.S. together with allies delivering numerous strikes on iranian defense industry, country preserved some capabilities, and during April ceasefire managed at rapid pace to restore drone production — U.S. intelligence overall acknowledged iran exceeded expectations in speed of restoring its defense industry facilities.
This, in turn, confirms need specifically for comprehensive approaches to facility protection, as ignoring various aspects — including same refusal to build protective hangars at airbases — will enable adversary to deliver more painful strikes.
Read more: Europe Runs €2M Sentinel Strike Challenge for Best Loitering Munition, Five Finalists Include Ukraine-Tested Helsing, Destinus, C-Astral
