{"id":4878,"date":"2026-04-26T23:32:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T23:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stock999.top\/?p=4878"},"modified":"2026-04-26T23:32:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T23:32:16","slug":"the-obscene-economics-of-modern-warfare-show-how-the-race-to-military-supremacy-is-transforming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stock999.top\/?p=4878","title":{"rendered":"The ‘obscene economics’ of modern warfare show how the race to military supremacy is transforming"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

The Iran conflict has confirmed a transformation in the economics of warfare toward cheap, mass-produced weapons, forcing a wholesale rethinking of military procurement, according to a recent report.<\/p>\n

While the U.S. and Israel have decimated Iran\u2019s military, the Islamic republic still has enough combat power to inflict meaningful economic and physical damage, said Noah Ramos, chief innovation strategist at Alpine Macro, in a note earlier this month.<\/p>\n

In particular, the regime has leveraged its Shahed drones, which cost only $20,000-50,000, forcing the U.S. and its allies to shoot them down with $4 million PAC-3 missiles or THAAD interceptors that cost $12 million-15 million.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven with interception rates above 90%, the value of asset protection is diminished given the obscene economics,\u201d Ramos wrote. \u201cThis imbalance has haunted Western military planners since the early days of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n

He explained that such lopsided attrition is the opposite of the West\u2019s model of precision lethality and is a deliberate part of Iran\u2019s strategy: mass losses are a feature not a flaw, because even the most advanced defenses can be overwhelmed with sufficient volume.<\/p>\n

The cost asymmetry is worsened by severe production and supply-chain constraints. For example, no new THAAD interceptors have been delivered since August 2023, and the next batch is due in April 2027.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the U.S. has rapidly drawn down stockpiles of its most expensive munitions during the Iran war. The Center for Strategic and International Studies put the tally at 45% of its Precision Strike Missiles, 50% of its THAAD interceptors, and almost half of its of PAC-3 missiles. CSIS estimated it would take one to four years to restock seven major munitions to prewar levels.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe diminished munitions stockpiles have created a near-term risk,\u201d the report said. \u201cA war against a capable peer competitor like China will consume munitions at greater rates than in this war. Prewar inventories were already insufficient; the levels today will constrain U.S. operations should a future conflict arise.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, Alpine Macro\u2019s Ramos pointed out that many critical components for a variety of U.S. munitions are deeply exposed to Chinese supply chains.<\/p>\n

That includes the stealthy Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, the Tomahawk cruise missile, the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, and the Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kit.<\/p>\n

The U.S. military\u2019s reliance on Chinese suppliers \u201cposes a grave threat given geopolitical fragmentation or a conflict over Taiwan,\u201d Ramos warned.<\/p>\n

Despite the emergence of mass-produced munitions, Ramos still expects legacy platforms like fighter jets, strategic bombers, precision missiles, and warships to continue enabling force projection.<\/p>\n

Rather than displacing so-called \u201cexquisite\u201d weapons, the more expendable systems will sit along side them and even amplify them, he predicted. <\/p>\n

Cheaper weapons can exploit specific vulnerabilities, prevent expensive assets from being depleted, and carry out riskier missions unsuitable for traditional platforms, Ramos suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing forward, supremacy will belong to the force that deploys the right tool for the right task at the right cost, not the one that defaults to multi-billion dollar platforms for every engagement,\u201d he added. \u201cThe Iran conflict is proving this in real time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pentagon also understands the new economics of warfare that bring to mind a quote attributed to Joseph Stalin during World War II as he weighed the Red Army\u2019s numerical advantage against Nazi Germany\u2019s superior weapons: \u201cquantity has a quality all its own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Efforts at cheaper, mass-produced platforms are underway while upstart defense contractors like Anduril are developing manufacturing innovations to enable hyperscale production.<\/p>\n

The U.S. has even incorporated a\u00a0copycat version of the Shahed drone, using the American version against Iran during the war. Emil Michael, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said at an industry conference last month that the Pentagon plans to go big with the LUCAS drone.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter only a few years, we continue to refine that and make that something that we can mass produce at scale,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019ve worked very well so far and it\u2019s proven out to be a useful tool in the arsenal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) conduct live-fire missions during Operation Epic Fury in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. <\/p>\n

U.S. Army<\/p>\n

#obscene #economics #modern #warfare #show #race #military #supremacy #transforming<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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