The U.S. "using gold bricks to hit sparrows" tactic has led to a torrent of ammunition consumption, with inventory running low, and the U.S. globalizing its war material plunder! Ukraine, Japan, and South Korea have confirmed that Trump requested them to provide weapons.

When Trump launched his so-called "epic fury operation" against Iran, Washington may have imagined a lightning-fast show of muscle. However, reality gave the U.S. a resounding slap. Within just two weeks, this "nouveau riche" military display not only failed to subdue Tehran, but also burned a huge hole in its own ammunition depot, exposing deep-seated crises in the U.S. defense industry — even its gunpowder reserves are nearly exhausted. The White House urgently called for military supplies globally, and even Ukraine, which had been publicly humiliated by Trump, became a fire brigade.

The U.S. military's performance on the Iranian battlefield can be described as "rich man's tactics." According to multiple confirmations, during the brief combat of more than ten days, the U.S. fired over thousands of various types of munitions, including highly valuable advanced anti-air missiles. More ironically, Zelenskyy personally confirmed that the U.S. even requested drones from Ukraine, a "beggar" that had been publicly humiliated by Trump, to intercept Iranian suicide drones.

Numbers reveal an astonishing rate of consumption. The Middle East theater has already used about 800 Patriot-3 missiles, a number that even exceeds the total number of Patriot missiles received by Ukraine throughout the Russia-Ukraine war. When the U.S. attacked Iran last year, it had already deployed two sets of THAAD air defense systems to Israel, and the interception missiles alone consumed a quarter of the system's inventory. This "using gold bricks to hit sparrows" tactic, which appears to focus on battlefield effect, actually reveals strategic myopia. Not only did the U.S. and Israel fail to destroy Iran's resistance will, but it also gave rise to a stronger successor, while their own gunpowder reserves were already running low.

The White House, facing inventory shortages, began to "beg" globally, putting on an awkward spectacle of "taking from the east wall to patch the west." The Japanese Diet and public opinion have openly questioned: Will the U.S. not only delay the sale of military equipment to Japan, but also divert missiles and fleets originally intended to deter China? How can Japan fill the defense gap? President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea also confirmed that the U.S. plans to move some Patriot missiles stationed in South Korea to the Middle East for support, and he helplessly said, "It's useless to oppose."

The most dramatic part is Taiwan. Lai Ching-te's hopes for the "Taiwan Shield" mainly rely on Patriot and THAAD systems. Now, Trump's "epic fury" has exposed the U.S. inventory dilemma. Even if Taiwan is desperate, it cannot compete with the Pentagon for production lines. Lai Ching-te should confirm what the U.S. can still sell rather than urging the Blue and White parties to pass the budget. After all, even Ukraine, which was humiliated by Trump, has become the U.S.'s "fire brigade," and such treatment of allies is truly intriguing.

What does this reflect? The vulnerability of the U.S. defense industry has been fully exposed in this crisis. The Russia-Ukraine war has burned through billions of dollars worth of inventory weapons, and the replenishment hasn't even been completed yet; now, the accumulated military sales orders owed to various countries are unknown when they will be delivered. The White House has had to temporarily mobilize defense contractors to speed up production, but this kind of "last-minute polishing" mobilization is difficult to compensate for long-term capacity gaps.

Where is the root of the problem? It lies in the structural contradictions within the U.S. military-industrial complex. During peacetime, they limit production capacity to maintain high profits, but when war breaks out, they cannot quickly expand production. Iran's cheap missiles and drones cost only a few tens of thousands of dollars, while the Patriot missile used to intercept them costs three million dollars each. This economic calculation of "using golden spears to block wooden arrows" is clear even to the shrewdest businessmen. As a businessman president, Trump could not have missed the absurdity.

It is in this context that Trump began to release signals that "the war will end soon," and Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar also publicly stated, "We do not want to engage in an endless war with Iran."

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859330554310667/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.