Iran bombing Israel, Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait, Qatar...: How Iran is using a cheap weapon to create havoc in Middle-east

The conflict in the middle-east has been raging for the past three days with Iran launching hundreds of drones and missiles into its neighbouring countries that are host to US bases. Iran which has supplied its Shahed drones to Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine has used it to attack countries across the gulf. This conflict just like the Ukraine-Russia has become a one of attrition and it will end when either of them runs out of munition.

Iran which has been supplying its Shahed drone to Russia is now attacking by sending waves of drones which force countries to use expensive air defence missiles to shoot down drones that are worth a fraction of their cost.

What is a Shahed drone

Shahed-136 one-way attack drones and rudimentary cruise missiles continued to strike targets across the Middle East on Monday, intensifying a confrontation that began with U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran on Saturday. Since then, Iranian projectiles have hit U.S. bases, oil infrastructure and civilian buildings, as both sides expend significant military resources in a rapidly escalating exchange.

Cheap drones a strain on inventory

U.S.-made Patriot air-defense systems have intercepted more than 90% of incoming Iranian Shahed drones and other ballistic missiles, according to the United Arab Emirates. However, each Patriot PAC-3 interceptor costs about $4 million, compared with roughly $20,000 for a Shahed drone, underscoring a cost imbalance that has troubled Western planners since the early stages of the Ukraine war. The dynamic risks depleting advanced interceptor stockpiles meant for more complex threats.

Drone strike at Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar

As per the Gorizont Telegram channel, a U.S.-owned strategic radar system in Qatar was allegedly disabled following an Iranian strike.

The AN/FPS-132 radar, situated at Al-Udeid Air Base and estimated to be worth about $1 billion, was reportedly hit. The installation is considered a key component of the United States’ missile defense architecture.

The radar is designed to monitor a vast expanse stretching from Europe to the Indian Ocean. Only six such systems are believed to exist worldwide, with additional deployments in the United Kingdom and Greenland.

The Al-Udeid radar is said to possess advanced capabilities, including the ability to detect potential missile launches from Russian territory at distances exceeding 5,000 kilometers. For that reason, experts had viewed the task of tracking missiles or drones launched from Iran as relatively straightforward for the system.

The reported impact on such a sophisticated radar by a comparatively inexpensive drone has heightened scrutiny surrounding the incident.