OrkishAmerican 🇺🇸

Approaching the realization that I’m an anti-populist.

I just heard from a source very close to top of the White House that, following today’s shootdown of an F-15, an A-10, and the successful hits on multiple helicopters and other aircraft, the WH is choosing further escalation, including US troops on the ground. This would be madness. I truly hope that someone in the Pentagon or elsewhere can prevent this from happening. If anything was proven today, it’s that Iranian AD is still very capable and very intact. Any US ground operation will be heavily reliant on helicopters and other slow-moving airframes. Despite the assertions of both the Pentagon and POTUS, it is crystal clear that we have not reduced Iranian AD to the point where a ground operation is even a remotely wise decision. Let alone potentially inserting by air and then being exclusively reliant on an air corridor for things such as resupply and CASEVAC. History is replete with examples where this reliance has been disastrous. Further, the hard part would be after troops were on the objective. Our lack of manpower leaves little room for maneuver, and once static (which would be required), Americans will become a stationary target for the entire inventory of Iranian indirect fire capabilities on Iranian soil, and it is a recipe for failure. Simply put, this is not an existential war for the US's survival. It’s a war of choice that should never have happened in the first place, and POTUS should be finding a way out, rather than clumsily and recklessly sacrificing America’s finest.

Deploying Air Defense in Iran: A Strategic Challenge Deploying air defenses in Iran is a massive undertaking. The country operates at least 8 to 10 different domestic models with varying capabilities, covering long, medium, and short-range threats. Notably, Iran is among the few nations that develop and manufactures its own long-range anti-missile systems. However, Iran’s geography is a double-edged sword. In such mountainous terrain, radars must be positioned on peaks to maximize coverage, making them sitting ducks. Conversely, the few flat areas in the country pose a different challenge: the interception window for incoming missiles and bombs becomes extremely short due to the limited extension and high density of these areas. Without effective medium and long-range radars, these systems lose their efficiency. Currently, most Iranian radars remain stowed or sheltered because the leadership is acutely aware of the deployment risks. In response, Iran has significantly upgraded both its hardware and its tactical employment. While Iran utilizes advanced hypersonic interceptors like the Sayyad-4B+, with a 300-400 km range, these systems are virtually useless at long and medium ranges without supplemental radar data. A key hardware upgrade now allows these systems to operate via data link, utilizing drone-mounted radars to guide interceptors; however, it is important to note that this is not yet the standard operating procedure. Following the “12-Day War,” Iran implemented a tactical overhaul focusing on three main pillars: •Radar Ambush (Passive Tracking): The shift toward modern sensors is critical. Now, optical/IRST sensors and drones detect targets first; main radars activate for only a few seconds to achieve a lock, drastically reducing exposure to counter-attacks. •Geographic Dispersion: This newfound autonomy allows units to spread across 10-15 km², utilizing tunnels and civilian sheds. They emerge only after receiving drone alerts, integrating with smaller systems to create layers resistant to saturation. This tactic is innovative, provided cyber-warfare doesn’t compromise the network. •Radical “Shoot-and-Scoot” Mobility: Repositioning long-range systems in under 4 minutes is a tactic rarely seen before. By treating high-altitude air defense like highly mobile MLRS or artillery, and using logistics for remote reloads, Iran has transformed the system’s tactical footprint. As systems are currently being positioned, we will likely see the results of these Iranian air defense upgrades in action over the coming days and weeks, But efficiency remains low due to the scarcity of medium- and long-range radars, which are vital for the country's protection. Were these radars destroyed? According to visual records, only 6 of them were, and the rest were never deployed.

March was a historic month for the Army of Drones. 35,300+ enemy casualties and 151,200+ targets hit — a record-breaking performance. For 4 months in a row, russian losses have exceeded their replenishment rates. We are on track to our strategic goal: 50,000+ per month.