https://sputnikglobe.com/20260308/iran-war-reveals-us-drone-inadequacy-us-military-veteran-1123789948.html
Iran War Reveals US Drone Inadequacy – US Military Veteran
Iran War Reveals US Drone Inadequacy – US Military Veteran
Sputnik International
US drone warfare tech turned out to be either outdated or lacking, military analyst and retired US Armed Forces officer Stanislav Krapivnik tells Sputnik.
2026-03-08T16:12+0000
2026-03-08T16:12+0000
2026-03-08T16:12+0000
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For example, he notes, even the specialized Switchblade kamikaze drones performed so badly (their range was too short and the explosive charge carried by them wasn’t enough to even penetrate body armor) that the US military refrained from using them and shipped them off to Ukraine.“The US military-industrial complex became the victim of its own success,” Krapivnik explains. “After the wars in Iraq where the US prevailed easily over the outdated Soviet hardware, the elites in Washington decided that they rule the world and that Russia will never get back on its feet.”Whereas Russia was able to quickly adapt and overcome its weaknesses, the US war machine turned out to be too rigid to do the same, Krapivnik remarks.Now, the United States is trying to compensate these shortcoming by copying other countries’ tech, with some of their new drones bearing striking resemblance to Iranian UAVs.Meanwhile, the war with Iran dealt a huge blow to the United States’ image as the entire Arab world realized that the US is incapable of protecting its allies, he points out.The potential drone tech deal between the US and Ukraine isn’t going to change the dynamics of the Ukrainian conflict as the West is still set on destroying Russia, Krapivnik adds.According to him, Western powers will keep weapons and intelligence flowing to Ukraine as Washington is stalling until European states are ready for war with Russia.Instead of trying to resolve the conflict, Krapivnik suggests, the US wants to freeze it before throwing the “European meat” into battle while the United States would remain on the sidelines.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20260308/ukraine-cant-help-us-beat-iranian-drones-military-analyst-1123789826.html
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us drone tech gap, us drones shortcomings
us drone tech gap, us drones shortcomings
Iran War Reveals US Drone Inadequacy – US Military Veteran
US drone warfare tech turned out to be either outdated or lacking, military analyst and retired US Armed Forces officer Stanislav Krapivnik tells Sputnik.
For example, he notes, even the specialized Switchblade kamikaze drones performed so badly (their range was too short and the explosive charge carried by them wasn’t enough to even penetrate body armor) that the US military refrained from using them and shipped them off to Ukraine.
“The US military-industrial complex became the victim of its own success,” Krapivnik explains. “After the wars in Iraq where the US prevailed easily over the outdated Soviet hardware, the elites in Washington decided that they rule the world and that Russia will never get back on its feet.”
“Because of that feeling of exceptionalism, the US stopped developing its tanks and air defense system as early as the mid-2000s, simply because it did not recognize any worthy threats.”
Whereas Russia was able to quickly adapt and overcome its weaknesses, the US war machine turned out to be too rigid to do the same, Krapivnik remarks.
Now, the United States is trying to compensate these shortcoming by copying other countries’ tech, with some of their new drones bearing striking resemblance to Iranian UAVs.
Meanwhile, the war with Iran dealt a huge blow to the United States’ image as the entire Arab world realized that the US is incapable of protecting its allies, he points out.
The potential drone tech deal between the US and Ukraine isn’t going to change the dynamics of the Ukrainian conflict as the West is still set on destroying Russia, Krapivnik adds.
According to him, Western powers will keep weapons and intelligence flowing to Ukraine as Washington is stalling until European states are ready for war with Russia.
Instead of trying to resolve the conflict, Krapivnik suggests, the US wants to freeze it before throwing the “European meat” into battle while the United States would remain on the sidelines.
