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Opinion

A Fiscal Crisis: The West Is on the Wrong Side of Cost Curve

A Fiscal Crisis: The West Is on the Wrong Side of Cost Curve
A Donaustahl Maus quadcopter kamikaze attack drone hangs on display at the 2024 ILA Berlin Air Show, in Schoenefeld, Germany, on June 5, 2024. Sean Gallup/Getty Images
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Commentary

An axis of aggressors has embarked on a new strategy to defeat the West: relentless attacks with inexpensive weapons, produced at scale, to provoke a global response. Western militaries, which cling to outdated and excessively expensive weapon systems and platforms (that take too long to develop and replenish, and regularly exceed their budgets), are being systematically bled dry.

Matthew Van Wagenen is a major general in the U.S. Army currently serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (DCOS OPS) in the NATO Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).