U.S. Military Is Learning The Value Of Lower Cost Weapons In The War Against The Islamic State

U.S. Army soldier launches AeroVironment's Puma unmanned aerial vehicle during an Iraqi security forces' offensive on an ISIS position near the western edge of Mosul, Iraq, March 19, 2017. Source: Army/Staff Sgt. Jason Hull

CNBC: ISIS fight shows US military can use lower-cost weapons with lethal results

* The fight against the Islamic State is seen as a learning opportunity for the U.S. military as it looks to a future of a new kind of opponent in urban settings.
* Low-cost solutions, whether in precision weapons or lighter attack aircraft, provide advantages in an era of constrained budgets.
* Anti-UAV technology in demand as enemy develops more weaponized uses for drones.

The fight against the Islamic State has become a learning opportunity for the U.S. military as it looks to a future taking on very adaptable and resourceful opponents.

There's also a growing realization that lower-cost technology solutions, whether in precision weapons or lighter attack aircraft, can provide advantages in an era of constrained budgets.

"What we've discovered is we're using very expensive stuff like B-1s, F-22s and even MQ-9 Reapers with things like Hellfire missiles, when you can do a lot of this with cheaper aircraft," said Daniel Goure, a defense analyst and vice president of the Lexington Institute, a nonprofit public policy research organization based in Arlington, Virginia.

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WNU Editor: Why is a $60,000 missile being used when an artillery round can do the same job. Why send in a B-1 bomber when a Hell-Fire missile fired from a drone can be used. But the big question is .... will the military change its ways. If the past is any indication .... we should not be optimistic.