Reuters explains that the air defence system was overwhelmed:

Offering a sense of the scale of the attack, Central Command said most of the missiles were intercepted though others hit the base.

The intriguing part is that Reuters refrains from identifying Patriot system by name. These assaults are intensifying the strain on an already overstretched US air defence system, which is needed to protect US interests in Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

Total Patriot production in 2023 was at only 500 missiles per year, aiming to increase production to 650 in 2024. It’s also worth noting that at least two missiles are fired during each intercept.

It’s pretty clear that this is not sustainable, and it’s incredibly cost ineffective when the system ends up using multi-million dollar missiles to intercept drones that cost mere thousands of dollars to produce.

The United States’ occupation of the Middle East is fundamentally untenable from both a strategic and political standpoint, much like its proxy war in Ukraine, or its escalating conflict with China. Yet, Washington persists in pursuing an aggressive course of action without considering alternative options.