The United States evacuated B-1 bombers from the UK's Fairford air base last week due to concerns over a potential Iranian drone attack. This incident is part of a series of Iranian operations targeting US bases located over 2,000 miles from Iran. President Donald Trump has implemented a strategy to pressure Iran by opening shipping channels in the Strait of Hormuz and blockading the country. However, the ongoing conflict has revealed significant deficiencies in US military capabilities, particularly in protecting bases in the region.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao noted that Iranian attacks have significantly impacted US facilities, including those in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. The majority of US casualties in the conflict have resulted from these attacks. The proximity of US bases to Iran, once seen as a strategic advantage, has now made them vulnerable targets. For example, Camp Arifjan in Kuwait is located just over 60 miles from the Iranian border and has experienced direct hits.
The evacuation of several bases has strained US military operations, particularly affecting the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had to rely on distant supply facilities in Diego Garcia and Singapore due to the unavailability of Bahrain as a supply hub. The threat posed by Iranian missiles and drones was anticipated, yet adequate protective measures were not implemented.
While one option is to reduce US military presence in the region, this could lead Gulf states to seek alternative strategic partners, potentially favoring Russia or China. The ongoing reliance on hydrocarbons in the global economy complicates this decision.
Experts suggest that innovation is necessary to address the vulnerabilities of US bases. The nature of the US military presence in the Gulf has evolved since the establishment of a naval command headquarters in Bahrain in 1948. As Kristian Alexander from the Stimson Center points out, the US military presence shifted significantly after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
To enhance the defensibility and sustainability of US bases, options include relocating some facilities to Israel, which is over 1,000 miles from Iran and would offer fewer restrictions on access and overflight rights. Measures to improve base security may involve dispersing facilities, hardening them, and enhancing air defenses with a focus on redundancy and less reliance on expensive missiles.
The current conflict with Iran has highlighted critical shortcomings in US military power that need to be addressed to prepare for potential future conflicts with more formidable adversaries.