[Apparently the DOD didn't learn a damn thing from this exercise and as with much of what they spend the $250 million was a complete waste. If the US is stupid enough to really attack Iran again (on behalf of "israel" BTW) they're going to lose an aircraft carrier and thousands of US military personnel could die . . . SC]

The modern version of a sitting duck . . .

By Nick Giambruno - July 9, 2025

Millennium Challenge 2002 was the largest and most expensive war game in Pentagon history, with a staggering price tag of $250 million.

It took over two years to design and involved more than 13,500 participants. The goal was clear: showcase how easily the US military could defeat Iran in a hypothetical conflict.

Commanding the Iranian forces in the simulation was Paul Van Riper, a retired three-star general and 41-year Marine Corps veteran. His task was to go head-to-head with the full might of the US military, including an aircraft carrier battle group and a large amphibious assault force positioned in the Persian Gulf.

But what happened next shocked everyone.

Van Riper waited until the US Navy passed through the narrow, shallow Strait of Hormuz—turning them into easy targets for Iran’s unconventional tactics.

Using swarms of explosive-laden suicide speedboats, low-flying aircraft with anti-ship missiles, naval mines, and land-based ballistic missiles, Van Riper deployed low-cost but highly effective weapons of asymmetric warfare.

In just minutes, he overwhelmed the superior US force and sank all 19 ships. Had this been a real conflict, an estimated 20,000 US sailors and Marines would have died.

The outcome was a disaster for the Pentagon. After spending a quarter of a billion dollars, the war game had demonstrated the exact opposite of what they’d hoped.

So, what did the Pentagon do? . . .

[SNIP]