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A drone strike devastated Russia’s air force. The U.S. is vulnerable, too.
The Washington Post ^ | June 4, 2025 10:49 AM EDT | Ellen Nakashima and Warren P. Strobel

Posted on 06/04/2025 11:54:45 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

The audacious attacks on Russian airfields highlight the power of unconventional, asymmetric warfare — and the threat to U.S. strategic bases and ports, experts say.

Ukraine’s surprise Sunday strike that used relatively inexpensive drones to knock out a significant portion of Russia’s long-range bomber capability was arguably the single largest blow to Moscow in its three-year war on its neighbor and a stunning display of asymmetric warfare.

The out-of-the-blue drone blitz elicited glee among Ukraine’s backers in Washington, but also a chilling realization: The United States is increasingly vulnerable to just such a low-tech, low-cost strike.

“The Pentagon should be very worried about this,” said Stacie Pettyjohn, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security who focuses on drone warfare and nuclear deterrence. A Ukraine-style attack — using drones hidden in shipping containers or trucks — could very well happen on U.S. soil, or against U.S. air and naval bases overseas, she said.

“Any country that has strategic bombers, strategic missiles and silos, or strategic nuclear submarines at port is looking at the attack and thinking the risk to our arsenal from a containerized set of drones disguised as a semitrailer poses a real risk,” said Jason Matheny, CEO of the Rand Corporation and a former director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, which develops advanced technologies for U.S. spy agencies.

Ukraine’s feat was the latest display of an accelerating use of asymmetric attacks, in which one force, often smaller and weaker, deploys unconventional tactics against another. Take, for example, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who have used relatively low-cost missiles and drones to snarl commercial shipping in the vital Red Sea waterway, prompting a retaliatory U.S. bombing campaign under President Donald Trump that cost well over $1 billion.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: asymmetric; aviation; drones; ellennakashima; impossible; itsusnoway; nothingcangowrong; nowayitsus; warfare; warrenpstrobel; washposthorseplop
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1 posted on 06/04/2025 11:54:45 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I don’t think we are as vulnerable. We wouldn’t let in millions of military aged men as refugees or allow rivals to buy up land near sensitive military installations.


2 posted on 06/04/2025 11:58:17 AM PDT by packagingguy
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

It’s sort of ironic that Chinese Interests have been buying up farmland near US Military Bases, I just get the sick feeling we are screwed and will suffer a huge hit in the near future.


3 posted on 06/04/2025 11:58:51 AM PDT by srmanuel
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To: srmanuel

You don’t even need to buy land. Just drive uhauls next to airbases.

Our wide open border saw to that.

First step: remove all illegals

Second step: build a lot of big hangers. You can use the ones that have sand between the sheets like we did in Iraq.


4 posted on 06/04/2025 12:02:09 PM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
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To: packagingguy

If THOR is up and running we should be better.


5 posted on 06/04/2025 12:03:42 PM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

So, yeah, let’s broadcast that to the world.


6 posted on 06/04/2025 12:04:25 PM PDT by exnavy (See article IV section 4 of our constitution.)
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To: packagingguy

heyyyyyy...it seems like you’re saying something other than what you really mean...

that’s pretty crafty pg

gonna try that someday

what do you call that


7 posted on 06/04/2025 12:05:05 PM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Ukraine isn’t smart enough to do this by itself, Russia knows who’s behind it and will respond accordingly, the nature of war being what it is.


8 posted on 06/04/2025 12:05:12 PM PDT by Ciexyz (Prayers for America and Israel.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
A drone strike devastated Russia’s air force. The U.S. is vulnerable, too.

Yes, Islamic Terrorists could strike US Airbases and Aircraft in a similar manner using the Washington Post's High Speed Business Internet and Wi Fi, and Newspaper Delivery Trucks, as there are so many Pali sympathizers working at the Post.

9 posted on 06/04/2025 12:05:46 PM PDT by Navy Patriot (President Trump Decisively Won Popular & E.C., Celebrate Recivilization!)
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To: packagingguy

And we wouldn’t let container ships unload lots of containers uninspected (only a few are inspected). And many of them from communist China, but we shouldn’t worry, despite them not being tracked after trucks pick them up for transport to unknown destinations. Yep, we aren’t as vulnerable!


10 posted on 06/04/2025 12:07:18 PM PDT by roadcat ( )
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To: Ciexyz
Ukraine isn’t smart enough to do this by itself, Russia knows who’s behind it and will respond accordingly, the nature of war being what it is.

This was planned under Biden and pushed thru by nameless neocons in the deep state.

11 posted on 06/04/2025 12:09:02 PM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Ukraine’s feat was the latest display of an accelerating use of asymmetric attacks, in which one force, often smaller and weaker, deploys unconventional tactics against another

That is precisely the tactics used by the US in the Revolutionary War...

12 posted on 06/04/2025 12:09:58 PM PDT by TheBattman (Democrats-Progressives-Marxists-Socialists-Satanists: redundant labels.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

lol. Ukraine destroyed 17 planes while their entire eastern front has collapsed. They are gone.


13 posted on 06/04/2025 12:18:03 PM PDT by circlecity
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To: TheThirdRuffian

How much damage could Ukraine have done if the number of drones they launched was 50-100 times what they did, the Chinese with land next to major military bases could take out the entire base not just the planes.

You’re right, you don’t really need land considering how the Ukrainians pulled off their attack, I don’t think the Chinese are wanting the land for growing crops or just signal intelligence.


14 posted on 06/04/2025 12:22:53 PM PDT by srmanuel
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To: packagingguy

CHECK WITH KATIE HOBBS IN ARIZ.

SHE VETOED A BILL THAT HALTED THOSE SALES


15 posted on 06/04/2025 12:26:12 PM PDT by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The monitor and merrimack changed naval warfare forever. The introduction of tanks in WW 1 changed ground warfare for ever and now these drones have changed all warfare forever.


16 posted on 06/04/2025 12:33:25 PM PDT by Midwesterner53
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To: packagingguy

“A drone strike devastated Russia’s air force. “

Ridiculous, Russia’s Air Force is not “devastated”. Sheesh


17 posted on 06/04/2025 12:38:30 PM PDT by iamgalt
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To: exnavy
"So, yeah, let’s broadcast that to the world."

"Loose lips sink ships.

18 posted on 06/04/2025 12:45:58 PM PDT by fidelis (👈 Under no obligation to respond to rude, ignorant, abusive, bellicose, and obnoxious posts.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

34 damaged and 17 are total loss - according to the Russians.


19 posted on 06/04/2025 12:51:55 PM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
8 to 10 planes destroyed or damaged is what I'm hearing, but nothing confirmed yet. Could be true if it's anything like the Kerch Bridge organisms.

.


20 posted on 06/04/2025 12:53:14 PM PDT by Karl Spooner
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