Why Ukraine's Daring Drone Strike In Russia Has Set Off Alarm Bells In US: ‘We Are Vulnerable'
Among the most glaring examples is Andersen Air Force Base on Guam which, despite hosting some of the world's most expensive aircraft, lacks hardened shelters.
A Ukrainian drone attack that damaged or destroyed over a dozen Russian warplanes jolted the United States as it exposed deep vulnerabilities at home and abroad.
Top US defense officials are now warning that American air bases, including those on US soil, are largely 'unhardened" owing to which high-value aircraft are dangerously exposed to similar drone or missile strikes, as per a CNN report.
'This is an eyebrow-raising moment," said Gen. David Allvin, the US Air Force chief of staff, speaking at a defense forum in Washington this week, adding, 'There is no sanctuary, even in the US homeland."
'We Are Vulnerable', Say US Generals
Retired US Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal told CNN, 'We are pretty vulnerable. We've got a lot of high-value assets that are extraordinarily expensive."
A 2024 report by the Hudson Institute co-authored by defense expert Thomas Shugart laid out the scale of the threat. In a conflict scenario with China, for instance, the People's Liberation Army could target US aircraft 'at airfields globally, including in the continental United States," using missiles, aircraft, subs, and even special forces.
'The overwhelming majority of US aircraft losses would likely occur on the ground," the report stated, warning the outcome could be 'ruinous."
Among the most glaring examples is Andersen Air Force Base on Guam which, despite hosting some of the world's most expensive aircraft, lacks hardened shelters.
A New Era of Threats
The drone strike on Russia has shown that even technologically modest adversaries can now launch highly effective precision strikes using cheap, portable systems. For the US, that's a wake-up call, McChrystal said, adding, 'It widens the spectrum of the threats you've got to deal with."
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