Foreign Media Article: How is the United States Redefining the Paradigm of War?

Reference News Network, April 6 Report According to the European website "Modern Diplomacy" on April 4, the current confrontation between the U.S. and Iran has also set the stage for some new modes of warfare—these modes, while not particularly eye-catching in nature, are transformative.

The Battlefield for Testing Weapons

Since the U.S. launched an attack on Iran at the end of February 2026, it has showcased its new offensive weapons and tested them on the battlefield against Iranian targets. An increasing number of people believe that the U.S. is fighting a costly and difficult war, as Iran, based on the military theory of "Mosaic Warfare," is utilizing inexpensive drone swarms and ballistic missiles to inflict heavy damage on U.S. assets in the Middle East.

Under the command of the U.S. "Scorpion Strike" task force, the Pentagon has launched the "Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Aerial System" (LUCAS). Unlike Iran's "Witness" drones, LUCAS drones are equipped with the Pentagon's highly encrypted military-grade M-CODE Global Positioning System. The "Witness" drone is a blind-flying cruise missile designed for mass cluster launches, flying along fixed paths to achieve penetration.

LUCAS employs "Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation" technology, which activates when the drone's GPS is hacked or its signal is obstructed, allowing it to navigate based on internally stored data. A LUCAS drone costs $35,000 and possesses the same precision and accuracy.

Additionally, the U.S. has also deployed precision strike missiles in actual combat for the first time. This is a next-generation long-range precision strike missile designed to extend the range of the U.S. Army's primary deep strike capability, the "Army Tactical Missile System" (ATACMS). The precision strike missile increases the range to over 400 kilometers and doubles the payload. It can be launched via the "HIMARS" High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and the M270 launcher, both of which are precision fire delivery systems.

Quietly Transformative Actions

From day one of his second term, Trump believed that the U.S. should no longer be mired in foreign wars. Even if war were to be waged, it should be swift. However, the war with Iran has entered a phase of protracted conflict, with tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers rushing to the Middle East from other regions.

It is clear that the U.S. does not want to engage in a prolonged war with Iran, as the outcome can only be a costly victory. Yet, the U.S. military is continuously increasing its military deployments around Iran, which is highly likely to prepare for a ground invasion. From historical experience to statements made by President Trump and his officials, one thing is very clear: a significant, quiet, and transformative action is brewing.

One of the main reasons the U.S. used atomic bombs on Japan during World War II was the Soviet Union's entry into the war. Scholars believe that had the Soviet Union intervened and defeated Japan through conventional warfare, it would have solidified its great power status in the post-war period. However, the U.S. took preemptive action, showcasing the unparalleled destructive power of nuclear weapons to the world for the first time.

The war against Iran is no exception. The geopolitical situation is somewhat similar, the world order is changing, and Iran has also mounted a strong counterattack. However, nuclear weapons cannot be used, as this would lead to severe consequences, especially a third world war. Nevertheless, the U.S. will still use this war to solidify its important position in the future world order.

The Venezuela incident is the best example of conventional military action, where the U.S. military forcibly controlled Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife without any casualties. President Trump later revealed that U.S. special forces used a unique offensive weapon system called the "Disruptor." It not only rendered the defense systems ineffective but also caused Venezuelan soldiers to faint and led to regional power outages due to high electromagnetic waves. The international community is accustomed to this technology, but in reality, it is a signal released by the U.S. indicating its intent and capability to defeat enemies without getting embroiled in a bloody war.

After the Venezuela incident, the U.S. shifted its focus to Iran. Since the outbreak of the war, President Trump has repeatedly stated on various occasions that the U.S. will completely erase Iran.

Signals Indicating Change

In addition, the White House recently released two short videos on its X platform and photo wall account. The second video was quickly deleted. The deleted video appears to have been shot with a smartphone, with the title indicating "Sound On." In the video, an unidentified woman asks, "It's about to launch, right?"

Meanwhile, another video still retained on the official photo wall account shows scenes of power outages and mobile phone alerts. These official statements and current trends suggest that the U.S. may be about to introduce a new type of non-nuclear high-impact weapon. A recent event further corroborated this assertion. UN official Mohamed Safa resigned on Friday, accusing the international organization of plotting scenarios for the use of nuclear weapons against Iran. Although the likelihood of using nuclear weapons against Iran is low, testing some new types of modern weapons is possible, thereby raising the threshold for conventional warfare.

For a long time, the Pentagon has been cautious about publicly disclosing its new weapon capabilities. Therefore, the war with Iran may provide the U.S. with a platform to test the aforementioned conventional weapons and to deploy a new type of attack system under a nuclear umbrella for the first time, thereby establishing a new paradigm. This weapon will integrate modern advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Thus, the war in the Middle East has transcended the scope of regional confrontation. It has become a testing ground for future warfare. (Translation/ Tu Qi)