Tracing the US military's learning curve on fighting Iran's drones: What to know

The Iran war is testing America's ability to combat swarms of cheap drones that have become a staple of the modern battlefield after Ukraine and Russia demonstrated how effective they can be

WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON (AP) — The Iran war quickly tested America's ability to combat the swarms of cheap drones that have become a staple of the modern battlefield after Ukraine and Russia demonstrated how effective they could be.

The Islamic Republic launched so many drones across the region at once that some slipped through the defenses, including a strike that killed six U.S. soldiers at an operations center in Kuwait.

Experts and defense leaders stress that the U.S. military has been able to shoot down the majority of Iran’s drones and take out much of Iran’s drone capabilities. But critics said that too often missiles that cost millions of dollars were being used to down small drones that cost tens of thousands.

American forces face a steep learning curve as they scramble to deploy more cost-efficient defenses against Iran's Shahed drones, which fly low and buzz like mopeds before smashing into their targets.

“We are crushing them — there’s no doubt about it — but if even one drone gets through our defenses and hurts an American, for me, that is enough to warrant fixing the problem,” said drone warfare expert Brett Velicovich, who operated Predator drones in the U.S. Army and co-founded a drone manufacturing company.