Page 10 - The Indian EYE 042426

OPINION APRIL 24, 2026 | The Indian Eye 10

EXHAUSTION AND ENDURANCE:

Contrasting US–Russian Defense

Industrial Resilience and Lessons for India

Following the end of the Cold War and the swift victory in the Gulf War, decision-makers increasingly

assumed that future conflicts would be short, decisive and heavily dependent on advanced technology

RAJNEESH SINGH

he ongoing war between the
United States (US) and Is-
Trael with Iran, code-named
Operation Epic Fury by the US, has
exposed significant weaknesses in
the US defense manufacturing base,
leading to growing concerns about
sustainability in a protracted war.
While the US retains overwhelming
technological superiority, its ability
to sustain high-intensity operations is
increasingly constrained by industrial
and supply chain limitations.
The US armed forces have ex-
pended certain advanced munitions
at an extremely rapid rate due to the
high tempo of operations, especially
in the initial days of the war. Accord-
ing to a report presented to mem-
bers of the US Congress, the US is
estimated to have expended approx-
imately US$ 5.6 billion worth of mu-
nitions within the first 48 hours of its
military operations against Iran.
A major concern is the rapid de-
pletion of the stockpile of advanced
munitions. In a study which tracked
35 munition types after 96 hours of
fighting, 21 were found to have a
healthy inventory state with ‘mature
production lines’, while 14 displayed
‘critical strain’. The 14 systems that A major concern for the US is the rapid depletion of the stockpile of advanced munitions (File photo)
displayed critical strain are part of
the US’s credible air defense (AD) ogy. The demonstrated effective- would be short and swift, driven by to sustain the demands of a high-in-
and long-range strike capabilities. ness of precision-guided munitions, advanced technology. Influenced by tensity conventional war against a
The war has also highlighted stealth platforms, and networked the precision strikes of the Gulf War peer adversary. In response, they
cost asymmetry: Iran’s reliance on command-and-control systems fos- and the display of technological su- have begun pursuing systemic efforts
cheaper drones and missile forces tered confidence that wars could be periority in Iraq, US planners built a to rebuild capacity, expand produc-
the US to expend far more expensive won quickly through overwhelming force geared towards conflicts decid- tion, and strengthen resilience in de-
interceptors, accelerating depletion initial force and information dom- ed by superior sensors, communica- fense manufacturing. Yet, as things
rates. These dynamics turn industrial inance. This outlook encouraged a tions and precision targeting rather stand today, a lot is left to be desired.
capacity into a decisive factor, lead- shift towards high-end, “exquisite” than protracted conventional wars The US’ capacity to manufac-
ing to stockpile shortages that could capabilities designed to deliver rapid characterized by high-volume ‘tra- ture ‘Exquisite Class Weaponry’
take years to rebuild. battlefield effects, while placing less ditional’ firepower and large-scale when compared to the rate of con-
Following the end of the Cold emphasis on stockpiles, redundan- manpower deployment. sumption is equally concerning. In
War and the swift victory in the cy, and the capacity for prolonged, Following the launch of Rus- 2025, Lockheed Martin and Ray-
Gulf War, decision-makers increas- large-scale conventional warfare. sia’s ‘special military operation’ in theon produced approximately 740
ingly assumed that future conflicts In the last three decades, the US Ukraine in 2022, the US and its allies Patriot PAC-2/PAC-3 missiles, with
would be short, decisive and heavily shaped its defense-industrial base confronted the reality that their de- plans to increase production to 1,100
dependent on advanced technol- around the belief that future wars fense-industrial base was ill-prepared Continued on next page... >>

www.TheIndianEYE.com