Iran-Israel drone economics

[godelian]

Drones are really cheap. Missiles to intercept them are really expensive:

$2 Million Missile To Shoot Down $2,000 Drone! Houthis’ Asymmetric War Has UK, US Navies In A Bind


So, taking out an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea does not seem particularly hard. You just keep swarming it with cheap drones until it runs out of missiles to intercept them. It it does not manage to sail away fast enough, the aircraft carrier will be toast.

In the Iran - Israel tussle, there are two outcomes for an attacking Iranian drone. Either Israel shoots down the drone. Fine, let them spend millions. Or else, the drone hits its intended target. Also fine, because then the drone destroys a target worth millions.

How much did Israel recently spend on intercepting Iranian drones?

Israel says Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles, 99% of which were intercepted

Iran can keep sending a swarm of drones every day. Israel cannot keep shooting them out of the air every day.

Of course, the US tax payer can spend much longer on expensive anti-drone missiles before eventually filing for bankruptcy. By the way, the Israeli tax payer is already bankrupt. In the meanwhile, there is also a tacit understanding between the US and the Russian Federation that the US cannot attack Iran directly. The geopolitics of the situation force the US to merely keep intercepting Iranian drones.

If Iran does not send out drones by themselves, they will simply instruct Hezbollah and the Houthis to do it for them.

In my opinion, US bankruptcy and collapse of the dollar will be the inevitable outcome of the Gaza war.

[Gary Childress]

In my opinion, US bankruptcy and collapse of the dollar will be the inevitable outcome of the Gaza war.

Probably true, if the war in Ukraine doesn't bankrupt us first.

[godelian]

In my opinion, US bankruptcy and collapse of the dollar will be the inevitable outcome of the Gaza war.

Probably true, if the war in Ukraine doesn't bankrupt us first.

The Israeli spokesperson said "together we thwarted Iran's attack". No, they didn't, because they still spent billions. Iran does not care whether Israel loses billions by using up its expensive missiles or because billions worth of targets were destroyed.

Concerning the war in Ukraine, you are right. It is the same principle. The Ukraine war costs mere peanuts to Russia while Ukraine is spending dozens of billions that they do not have.

In both wars, it is indeed the American tax payer who is getting bankrupted.