Defense & Aerospace Report Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Mar 31, 2026] IISS' Ben Barry
Mar 31, 2026
Ben Barry, retired British Army brigadier and director of land warfare studies at IISS, discusses land‑power in a potential US‑Israel campaign on Iran. He explores Iranian ground threats, when landings are needed to secure straits, interceptor attrition and mixed counter‑drone approaches. Barry also traces Britain’s post‑Cold War army decline, readiness erosion, funding gaps and procurement lessons.
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Blend Guns With Missiles And Networked Sensors
- Mix high-end interceptors with low-cost guns and rapid networking to sustain air-defence when precision interceptors deplete.
- Barry recommends fitting 25mm systems with air-burst rounds, adding battlefield radars and striker-based AA vehicles with Stingers and guns.
Cheap Gun Trucks Paired With Apps Work Against Drone Swarms
- Low-tech gun trucks paired with simple ISR apps can be highly effective versus drone swarms, replicating Ukrainian tactics.
- Barry cites Ukrainian use of gun trucks plus an app plotting drone flight paths on tablets to enable mobile interception.
Bombing Infrastructure Rarely Breaks Will To Fight
- Strategic attacks on civilian infrastructure often fail to break national will and can be politically counterproductive; targeting military industry and logistics is more militarily effective.
- Barry draws on WWII bombing studies showing limited battlefield impact from area bombing compared with strikes on oil and transport.
