The $4M Missile Problem Putting America at Risk

The US spends $4 million every time it fires a Patriot missile. Iran builds a ballistic missile for half that and manufactures them far faster. Mark Urban argues that America and its allies have trapped themselves in an economic paradox: weapons so expensive they can't stockpile enough, facing enemies willing to outlast them with drone warfare and cheap ballistic missiles. From commercial satellites exposing US military bases to Iranian drones built from stealth materials, the technological edge America once monopolised is eroding fast. The Iran war is revealing hard truths about US military spending, missile defense, and whether the Western arms race model can survive. #geopolitics #militarytech #usmilitary #iran #defenseeconomics Read the best of our journalism: https://www.thetimes.com/ Subscribe to the Times Originals YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_... Find us on Facebook:   / timesandsundaytimes   Find us on X: https://x.com/thetimes Find us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetimes?lang=en Find us on Instagram:   / thetimes