Iran’s Underground Armory Sparks US Panic

America’s enemies are vanishing into deep tunnels, and now Washington wants powerful new bunker-busting tech that could either secure peace through strength—or drag us into another expensive forever arms race underground.

Story Snapshot

U.S. Central Command chief warns that Iran and terror groups are moving critical weapons into underground bunkers.
Lawmakers are weighing new spending on sensors, drones, and “deeply buried” target weapons during an active war in Iran.
Trump-era commanders are leaning hard on artificial intelligence and small cruise missiles to hit hidden sites.
Conservatives must watch that necessary deterrence does not become unchecked Pentagon mission creep and waste.

Generals Warn: ‘Everybody Is Going Underground’

U.S. Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper told House lawmakers that future wars will be fought against enemies hiding missiles, drones, and command centers deep underground, far from traditional airstrikes.^[1] Cooper said groups across the Middle East are digging in, from Iran’s military to terror proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, forcing America to rethink how it finds and destroys those targets.^[2] That push now drives demands for new sensors, precision weapons, and electronic warfare tools tailored to hardened bunkers.

Cooper testified that, in just weeks of fighting, U.S. forces have already struck more than 5,500 targets in Iran, including ballistic missile facilities and Soleimani-class warships, while using artificial intelligence to deliver “lethal effects in entirely new ways.”^[3] He argued that to stay ahead, the United States must invest more in electronic warfare, anti-drone defenses, and munitions able to hit hard and deeply buried sites, because adversaries are learning that burying weapons and command nodes can complicate American response.^[1]

Trump-Era Tech Push Meets Pentagon Appetite For Spending

The current Central Command boss was originally picked during Donald Trump’s earlier tenure to drive a more aggressive embrace of private-sector technology, including artificial intelligence-enabled unmanned platforms and digital integration.^[2] Cooper reminded senators at his confirmation hearing that he previously led the Navy’s first unmanned and artificial intelligence task force and wants to leverage America’s tech base quickly, not wait for sluggish bureaucracy.^[2] That mindset aligns with conservative calls for efficiency and innovation, but it also risks feeding Washington’s habit of throwing money at every emerging threat.

Special Operations Command has already moved to test an extended-range strike package for the AC-130J Ghostrider gunship built around an advanced electronically scanned radar and a small cruise missile.^[1] The radar is intended to boost situational awareness, precision targeting, and survivability, especially in bad weather and at longer ranges, while providing updates to stand-off weapons.^[1] Supporters argue this is common sense: take a proven close air support workhorse and give it the ability to strike from beyond enemy defenses, instead of buying an entirely new fleet.

Underground Iran: Successes, Limits, And The Risk Of Mission Creep

Cooper recently told the Senate that the war has “dramatically reduced” Iran’s ability to threaten its neighbors and American interests, claiming Tehran’s defense industry has been set back by 90 percent and its drone arsenal cut to about 10 percent of prewar levels.^[4] He also said American strikes severed Iran’s supply lines to Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, and that Iran can no longer threaten partners the way it once did across air, sea, and land.^[4] On paper, that sounds like decisive Trump-style peace through strength.

Yet reports based on U.S. intelligence suggest Iran has restored almost all of its underground storage facilities and retained roughly 70 percent of its missiles and 75 percent of its mobile launchers.^[4] Those numbers highlight the core problem Cooper himself flagged: once an enemy goes underground, even massive bombing campaigns may only partly degrade their punch.^[1]^[4] That dynamic could tempt the Pentagon to chase ever more exotic bunker-busting weapons instead of pairing targeted force with strict political limits and realistic goals—something conservatives learned the hard way in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What Conservatives Should Watch As The Underground Arms Race Grows

Budget and test documents for the AC-130J show a familiar pattern: a slow, non-stealthy gunship originally designed for close air support in permissive skies is being modernized with new radar, networking, and cruise missiles to survive around denser air defenses. The War Zone reports that the goal is an integrated, longer-range strike capability that keeps the Ghostrider relevant in “high-end” conflicts, not just against insurgents.^[1] DefenseScoop adds that the small cruise missile effort is still informing acquisition strategy, meaning costs and maturity remain unsettled.

AC-130J Gunship With Mini Cruise Missiles Paired With AESA Radar To Undergo Tests

The plan is to demonstrate a fully integrated, longer-range strike capability that could keep the AC-130 relevant in high-end conflicts.https://t.co/DAjL7EjRED

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) May 19, 2026

For Trump supporters who demand a strong military but reject endless wars and blank-check spending, the balance is clear. America must be able to reach inside mountains and tunnels where Iran and its terror allies hide missiles aimed at our troops and Israel. But Congress must insist on hard data before pouring billions into every new sensor or missile pitched as the answer.^[1] That means demanding open test results, cost-benefit analysis, and firm mission boundaries so “underground” does not become a permanent excuse for unchecked Pentagon expansion.