The recent and devastating attacks launched by Iran against U.S. military bases in the Middle East in recent months have exposed the obsolescence of current warfare strategies. Facing adversaries armed with long-range missiles and drones, the American military is rediscovering a fundamental principle: the art of hiding.

Changes in Doctrine and Command

The Army's Combined Arms Command (CAC) is modifying troop training in concealment, moving away from the large command posts seen in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Camouflage in daylight: During a Pentagon briefing, General James P. Isenhower emphasized that camouflage has become an imperative on the modern battlefield, requiring dispersed troops and a significant reduction in electronic and physical signatures.
• The price of dispersion: Kelly Grieco, senior researcher at the Stimson Center, explains that the military is trading efficiency for survival. The fragmentation of supplies across multiple locations replaces large centralized hubs, complicating logistics; after damage sustained by NSA base in Bahrain, for example, U.S. ships had to rely on a hub at Diego Garcia, over 3,200 kilometers away, forcing personnel to order supplies 30 days in advance.

The Vulnerability of Middle East Bases

American installations, large and easily identifiable, have been targets of continuous assaults since the beginning of the conflict with Iran:

• Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain: Hit on February 28 by missiles and one-way attack drones, it sustained damage of approximately 400 million dollars. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao stated plainly that Iran "destroyed Bahrain".
• Muwaffaq Salti Air Base (Jordan): Three American soldiers died in July after a missile and drone attack penetrated local air defenses.
• Port Shuaiba (Kuwait): Six soldiers were killed in March by an Iranian drone that struck a tactical operations center.

Interceptors Running Out

Exacerbating the situation is the massive use of expensive interceptor missiles to counter cheap Iranian drones and ballistic missiles, a dynamic that has depleted stockpiles. A recent CSIS report highlights the dramatic decline recorded between February and July:

• Patriot Interceptors: Approximately 65% of stockpiles were deployed.
• THAAD Interceptors: Stockpiles decreased by 38% since the start of the war.

Adaptation to Modern Surveillance

During the "War on Terror", total air superiority guaranteed American bases a function as safe sanctuaries. Today, by contrast, adversaries can easily track electromagnetic signatures, physical traces, and visual signals. This vulnerability concerns not only fixed positions, but also moving vehicles: in April, a U.S. fighter jet was shot down after a swarm of drones had intercepted its GPS position, speed, and route, transmitting the data to Iranian commands.

To counter this threat, training at all levels of the Army has been updated to include electronic warfare and counter-drone operations, teaching soldiers to manage their emissions while simultaneously identifying enemy positions.