The Iran war has exposed deep shortcomings in America’s military industrial base and weapon procurement systems, as the U.S. military rapidly expended over 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles. These missiles, costing $4 million and taking up to 36 months to build, were often used to shoot down $35,000 Shahed drones that Iran produces at a rate of at least 200 per month.
This rapid consumption of expensive, slow-to-produce weaponry highlights a long-standing problem that former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates critiqued almost two decades ago, advocating for cheaper, faster-produced "75 percent solutions." Current Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is now attempting to address these procurement issues. Unlike predecessors who sought efficiency with less money, Hegseth is pushing for a record $1.5 trillion budget, the largest military funding proposal in modern U.S. history, while noting Ukraine's capacity to produce seven million drones annually as a contrast to U.S. industrial output.
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