- Rely on manned platforms and JDAMs, they work perfectly, cheap, and abundant. It was demonstrated that US pilots can fly anywhere in Iran including nuclear sites and center of Tehran with very little risk and let that be the case. Supply of retiring, effectively expendable F-16s is limitless (they will be written off for being worn out or just plainly aged out, much faster than they can be realistically shot down). US has enormous capacity for training fighter pilots.
- Don't use Patriot missiles to shoot down cheap targets, have plenty of 3D printed interceptors for everything that flies below 250 mph - Shaheds, jet-powered Shaheds (at the limit), helicopters, piston-powered and most turboprop planes, suicide boats. Use Patriots and THAADs for ballistic missiles with over 500km range, these are few in numbers and interceptors will be sufficient. This is a solved science, and mass production is there, Ukraine makes and uses thousands of 3D printed electric low-speed interceptors per day.
- Develop and mass-produce an interceptor missile compatible with Patriot system and capable of taking out an unsophisticated ballistic target with <500km range. In fact, no need to develop it, just buy them from Ukraine when they are done developing. Ukraine is under a lot more pressure than any of us. They have no way around building it, so just buy from them when they are ready. Mass produce it.
- Cruise missiles are pretty much out of the picture, it seems both Iranians and Russians realised they don't really work in this reality anymore. Somehow they still work for US very well though.
anovikov•57m ago
- Rely on manned platforms and JDAMs, they work perfectly, cheap, and abundant. It was demonstrated that US pilots can fly anywhere in Iran including nuclear sites and center of Tehran with very little risk and let that be the case. Supply of retiring, effectively expendable F-16s is limitless (they will be written off for being worn out or just plainly aged out, much faster than they can be realistically shot down). US has enormous capacity for training fighter pilots.
- Don't use Patriot missiles to shoot down cheap targets, have plenty of 3D printed interceptors for everything that flies below 250 mph - Shaheds, jet-powered Shaheds (at the limit), helicopters, piston-powered and most turboprop planes, suicide boats. Use Patriots and THAADs for ballistic missiles with over 500km range, these are few in numbers and interceptors will be sufficient. This is a solved science, and mass production is there, Ukraine makes and uses thousands of 3D printed electric low-speed interceptors per day.
- Develop and mass-produce an interceptor missile compatible with Patriot system and capable of taking out an unsophisticated ballistic target with <500km range. In fact, no need to develop it, just buy them from Ukraine when they are done developing. Ukraine is under a lot more pressure than any of us. They have no way around building it, so just buy from them when they are ready. Mass produce it.
- Cruise missiles are pretty much out of the picture, it seems both Iranians and Russians realised they don't really work in this reality anymore. Somehow they still work for US very well though.