The United States is considering moving parts of its military command\ncentres in the Middle East to underground facilities after Iranian\nmissile and drone attacks caused serious damage to the US Fifth Fleet\nbase in Bahrain. This option resembles the strategy used by Iran for\nyears to protect its command centres, missiles, launchers, and military\nfacilities from airstrikes.<\/p>\n
The Wall Street Journal reported that US defence officials are\nevaluating several major changes after Naval Support Activity Bahrain\nwas repeatedly hit throughout the war. The options under discussion\ninclude not rebuilding some of the damaged structures, moving command\ncentres underground, dispersing capabilities across multiple locations,\nand reducing reliance on a single large base.<\/p>\n
These considerations have gained renewed attention after US Acting\nSecretary of the Navy Hung Cao openly acknowledged the extent of the\ndamage caused by Iran. Cao has served as Acting Secretary of the Navy\nsince 22 April 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cIran really hit Bahrain very hard,\u201d Cao said in an interview with\nThe Epoch Times, as quoted by Reuters on Thursday, 10 September 2026.\nThe statement referred to Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the base that\nserves as the headquarters for the US Navy\u2019s Fifth Fleet.<\/p>\n
Cao\u2019s remarks represent one of the most candid admissions from a\nsenior American official regarding the impact of Iranian attacks on its\nmilitary infrastructure. While Cao did not state that the base was\ntotally destroyed, and Fifth Fleet operations continue, the damage is\nsignificant enough that Washington is questioning the base model that\nhas served as the backbone of its military presence in the Gulf for\ndecades.<\/p>\n
Damage to Command Centres and Satellites<\/strong><\/p>\n Attacks on the Bahrain base began on the first day of the war on 28\nFebruary 2026. USNI News reported at the time that Iranian missiles hit\nthe Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, while an attack drone also\nstruck Naval Support Activity Bahrain and appeared to destroy a radome\nrelated to communication or sensor capabilities.<\/p>\n No US casualties were reported from the initial attacks on the base.\nHowever, an investigation by The Wall Street Journal later found that\nmissile and drone attacks between February and June damaged command\ncentres, several buildings, and satellite communication terminals.<\/p>\n Most personnel were evacuated, although military operations\ncontinued. The cost of rebuilding Naval Support Activity Bahrain alone\nis estimated to reach approximately 400 million US dollars.<\/p>\n The damage has raised fundamental questions within the Pentagon.\nWhile large, permanent bases provide logistical advantages, such\nfacilities also serve as high-value targets when adversaries possess\nprecision missiles and drones capable of reaching US military locations\nin the region.<\/p>\n Consequently, one of the options being considered is placing command\ncentres underground. Another approach involves dispersing personnel,\ncommunication systems, and operational capabilities across multiple\nlocations so that a single strike cannot neutralise critical parts of\nthe chain of command.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-considers-emulating-iran-by-building-underground-command-centres-1789099122",
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