US air defenses may not be able to intercept many of Iran's one-way drones

[SamuelTheThird]

Trump administration officials told lawmakers during a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill Tuesday that Iran’s Shahed attack drones represent a major challenge and US air defenses will not be able to intercept them all, according to a source in the briefing.

The drones, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine acknowledged, are posing a bigger problem than anticipated, two sources in the briefing told CNN. They are known to fly low and slow – a feature that makes them more able to evade air defenses than ballistic missiles. Another source familiar with the briefing said the officials made an attempt to downplay concerns about the drones and noted that Gulf state partners had been stockpiling interceptors.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/04/politics/us-air-defenses-iran-attack-drones-challenge

[vanessa_ca]

1. Posing a bigger problem than anticipated? Prof Jiang explained this in detail over a year ago

But these guys were too puffed up on their own Hubris and Netanyahu's bullshit to pay attention.

[womanofthehills]

7. "Breaking points" had him on yesterday

Crystal Ball and Saagar speaking with Prof Jiang. . Definitely recommend.

Link to tweet

?s=46

[vanessa_ca]

8. Thanks! I saw that one. I never miss them and also highly recommend.

I've been subscribed to about 3 channels devoted to Prof Jiang for a while now. In fact, I'm watching one called "Death By Bureaucracy" right now. I wish I could attend his classes, especially now. Thanks for sharing that with the community. Your posts are always great.

[Emrys]

2. Trump allowed Russia and Iran to develop and improve the Shaheds/Gerans during the conflict in Ukraine

Ukraine in its turn has done great work developing and adapting its countermeasures and taking out some of the launch facilities and factories, but no thanks to the rapidly decaying dozy tinpot despot.

Now it's going to bite him (and a bunch of other people, many blameless) in the ass.

Remnants of Shaheds with Russian markings have been recovered in some of the Gulf states in the last week or so. Iran initially supplied Russia, then helped it set up its own manufacturing plants, and Russia has since been exporting drones to Iran.

Logically, Trump should either help Ukraine take out the known Russian plants by providing the necessary means, deploy some of the US's much-boasted vast array of armamaments to do the job as legitimate targets in the current conflict with Iran, or intercept any shipments that may occur from now on.

But maybe Vlad wouldn't like it. Perhaps he and Witkoff can have a chat about it the next time they have a cosy get-together to discuss European history, Russian mythology and the oodles of $ they look forward to sharing.

[jmowreader]

3. If Trump was a loyal American, that's exactly what he would do

Since Trump is a Russian agent, that's exactly what he WON'T do.

[QueerDuck]

4. Could they reach DC? or NYC? or Maralago?

[Emrys]

5. These drones don't have that sort of range

Even the most advanced Ukrainian drones (sometimes adapted small aircraft) so far only have ranges of a thousand miles or so, though that's growing by increments.

You'd need to worry more about ballistic missiles, which aren't a new threat. Or, on a less technological level, bombs planted somewhere. Or people flying planes into buildings, which seems far-fetched ...

[QueerDuck]

6. Thanks for the update and info!

[vanessa_ca]

9. It's not only that they "may not be able to intercept many of Iran's one-way drones"

It's the high financial cost to keep trying.