More Than 115 Strikes Damage 26 U.S. Military Sites in the Region

Key Facts

More than 115 drone or missile strikes had damaged or destroyed facilities at 26 military bases and other sites housing U.S. equipment by August, according to an Associated Press report. Iran or armed groups backed by it claimed responsibility for the strikes, which hit sites across the region, the report said. The attacks initially focused on aircraft hangars and incoming-attack detection systems before expanding to warehouses, troop housing and other facilities. Kuwait was hit most heavily, while U.S. sites in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were also targeted. The extent of the damage highlights the scope of attacks on U.S. military infrastructure, while Central Command declined to specify losses at bases and to equipment.

In Kuwait, Ali Al Salem Air Base sustained at least 30 strikes during the war, according to the report. The attacks damaged or destroyed at least 15 aircraft hangars, along with numerous warehouses and 10 buildings near a residential area. The damage shows how the strikes extended beyond aviation facilities to storage sites and buildings close to residential areas. Iranian strikes during the first two days of the war in late February also destroyed facilities protecting U.S. radar systems at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait and the Naval Support Activity Bahrain, according to an analysis of satellite imagery cited by the Associated Press. The targeting of radars at the start of the war focused on warning and detection capabilities that help spot attacks before they arrive.

In Jordan, a radar that the Associated Press said was destroyed was one of 13 of its type owned by the U.S. military worldwide, according to manufacturer Raytheon. Budget documents show that each radar costs about half a billion dollars, the report said. In Qatar, another radar was badly damaged, though it was unclear whether it was destroyed. Qatar bought the radar as part of a deal worth $1.1 billion in 2013, and it appeared to be the only one of its type in the region, according to the report. These examples show that the damage included costly, limited-in-number warning equipment, as well as the facilities that support it.

Losses extended to aircraft: a regional military official who visited Prince Sultan Air Base said an attack hit a surveillance aircraft and damaged other aircraft, including two aerial refueling tankers. An October update to a Congressional Research Service report cited damage to 15 U.S. aircraft at bases in the region. In a separate strike on Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in September, an A-10 lost a wing, while about eight F-15s sustained minor damage and returned to service, according to a U.S. official cited by Reuters. Another U.S. official told Reuters that countering an attack in Jordan required the launch of about 30 Patriot interceptor missiles. These figures put aircraft damage and the use of interceptor munitions among the costs of attacks on U.S. forces in the region.

A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, whose findings Reuters cited, estimated that the United States used about 65% of its Patriot interceptor missiles between February and July. The stockpile fell to fewer than 850 missiles in July, compared with 2,330 before the war began in February, according to the estimate. In a broader accounting of damage, a September report by the Pentagon inspector general said the strikes damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and facilities at U.S. bases in eight regional countries. By contrast, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said, "The forces and bases are well protected, and the U.S. military is stronger than ever." Central Command did not specify the extent of the damage, citing its customary refusal to comment on operational security requirements.

Two regional officials told the Associated Press that the United States had moved many of its assets out of the Gulf, including aircraft, air defense and communications systems, and equipment essential to base operations. Regional officials said the damage had reshaped the U.S. presence in the Middle East, and that a resumption of fighting could inflict further damage on bases and deepen uncertainty about rebuilding them after the war. In a report published on October 28, the agency said U.S. President Donald Trump had left open the possibility of new strikes on Iran after the midterm elections. A third aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops were on their way to the region, the report said. This puts the scale of the damage and the rebuilding of bases in the context of continued military buildup and the possibility of renewed fighting.