Sunday, April 26, 2026

Trump's War

The emerging picture of Iranian retaliation against American military bases across the Gulf suggests that the real military cost of Operation Epic Fury may be significantly higher than Washington has publicly acknowledged, with infrastructure damage, aircraft losses, and operational disruption now measured in billions of dollars.

Multiple U.S. officials, congressional aides, and individuals familiar with classified damage assessments indicate that Iranian strikes hit dozens of targets across at least seven countries in the Middle East, challenging early narratives that Tehran’s retaliatory capacity had been rapidly neutralized after the opening U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026.

The strategic significance deepened when NBC News confirmed that an Iranian F-5 fighter jet successfully conducted a bombing run on Camp Buehring in Kuwait, penetrating layered American air defenses despite the presence of Patriot missile batteries, short-range interceptors, advanced radar coverage, and persistent regional surveillance networks.
...
Camp Buehring in Kuwait occupies a central role in U.S. military logistics architecture because it functions as a major staging hub for force projection, sustainment operations, and pre-positioned combat support for American operations across the wider CENTCOM theatre.

So how does an old jet get through layered air defense and surveillance systems to drop good old bombs on an important American base?

9 comments:

  1. And the NYTimes, Grey Lady, Paper of Record, still has nothing about this at 1PM....still hyper-ventilating about whatever happened last night at the WHC dinner. Sound and Fury signifying nothing. A witless psychopathic president maybe had another assassination attempt...as if it mattered one way or another. One could even wonder if it was a false flag operation to distract from the total balls-up his "administration" had become.

    ReplyDelete
  2. According to a massive number of coordinated MAGA DM's posted this morning, American taxpayers should now fund the golden fleece ballroom so his highness is protected from assualts.

    The conspiracy theories are running wild today in the MAGA blogosphere.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Having been on the receiving end of hostile rocketry at a base that had no air defense except run as fast as your feet can carry you to the nearest bunker. Sometimes the air raid sirens went off and sometimes not. Either way, the adrenaline surge was huge, but we made sure to get everyone to safety. Then we would the gunships pound the shooters.

    A salute to all my brothers and sisters in arms. Thank you for your service and for everything you sacrifice to serve far from home. Your dedication and professionalism are deeply appreciated, we’re thinking of you, and hoping for your safe return every day.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Perhaps they had Russian intel to help them?

    -Doug in Sugar Pine

    ReplyDelete
  5. Suggests that moron47 did a shitty job and this nothing but the best supporting team is worse.

    As to that shooter... seriously? HE many have tried but barely.

    Eck!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Satellite Images
    https://www.defensemagazine.com/article/iran-just-smashed-a-key-us-air-base-in-kuwait-new-images-reveal-the-damage
    The NYT still hasn't got off the dime.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It makes sense that the Iranians tagged us at least a little. How they got through our defences is another story. And it's not surprising that we weren't told about the hit either. Although, I had thought reporters were on the job over there. We aren't invincible and it took Iran to remind us.
    w3ski

    ReplyDelete
  8. The Economist has been good at keeping track of the damage that hasn't been reported. https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/04/21/global-energy-markets-are-on-the-verge-of-a-disaster?giftId=YWM0NTA1OTgtMjk3ZC00NDY0LWJiNWMtMTVlZjc4NTRkZTkw&utm_campaign=gifted_article
    History repeats?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHhZF66C1Dc

    ReplyDelete
  9. I wrote to a friend about the disconnect between the hyperventilation about the WHCD assault and the crickets on the war. She replied:
    I thought Trump's reaction to the whole thing was bizarre in its entirety. It was curiously flat, which I think contributed to the suggestion of a faked incident (although I think it was real).

    My response:
    But yes. Trump "doesn't believe" in reality. Increasingly reality is returning the favor.

    ReplyDelete

House Rules #1, #2 and #6 apply to all comments. Rule #3 also applies to political comments.

In short, don't be a jackass. THIS MEANS YOU!
If you never see your comments posted, see Rule #7.

All comments must be on point and address either the points raised in the blog post or points raised by commenters in response.
Any comments that drift off onto other topics are subject to deletion.

(Please don't feed the trolls.)

中國詞不評論,冒抹除的風險。僅英語。

COMMENT MODERATION IS IN EFFECT UFN. This means that if you are an insulting dick, nobody will ever see it.