US Defense — 2026-10-29

Pentagon Scrambles to Harden Bases Against Drone Attacks After Iran Destroys Key Facilities

BLUFIran's destruction of the Manama naval hub and Al Udeid air operations center has broken the fixed-base model underpinning US power projection in the Gulf, forcing a costly shift toward dispersal and hardening with no rebuild decision yet made.

A senior defense official told a Defense Writers Group breakfast that the Pentagon is assessing damaged Middle East installations with CENTCOM to decide which to rebuild, and had no cost estimate available 12. Iranian strikes since February destroyed Navy facilities in Manama and rendered the Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid inoperable, The Intercept reported, citing two government officials 3. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said "they blew the hell out of Bahrain," and the Navy chief said it would not use the Bahrain base "anytime soon" 12. The Intercept's officials also described Iranian-linked plots against RAF Fairford and a Pentagon request for information on hardening and concealing bases, while a Pentagon inspector general report cited hundreds of buildings damaged or destroyed across eight countries 3.

Analysis
Iranian strikes have removed two pillars of US power projection, the Navy hub in Manama and the Al Udeid air operations center, and Washington has not decided whether to rebuild either. Gulf basing may shrink or disperse as the Pentagon weighs posture against cost, and the Navy says it will not use Bahrain "anytime soon." Drones and cruise missiles have ended the assumption that distance protects fixed bases, pushing hardening, concealment and counter-drone spending onto US and European installations. Congress is pressing for a full damage figure, which the Pentagon has kept in classified channels. Confidence is high: a named senior official is on the record, two outlets repeat that account, The Intercept adds separate sourcing, and an inspector general finding covers eight countries. Rebuilding choices may instead be driven by funding politics, with the Pentagon using the drone threat to justify larger hardening budgets.
3 sources
  1. Pentagon weighs force posture, costs of rebuilding Middle East bases - Breaking Defense
  2. Iran strikes force Pentagon to reassess US bases across region: Report - Al Mayadeen
  3. Pentagon Fears Drone Attacks on US and Foreign Bases - The Intercept

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