Theodore Postol, Glenn Diesen: Iran’s Missiles & Drones Were Underestimated

by Glenn Diesen [3-31-2026].

(RAD: This is an excellent discussion about the various radars & other intercepts needed for missiles & drones. This helps understand why Iran focused in the first few days to destroy many of the long range radars. Missiles now arrive in Israel with no warning about where they are going to hit. When they are detected from satellites, the best that can be done is to say a missile might be heading towards Israel. Detecting drones is a lot different than for missiles. Ted also shows how an inexpensive Starlink receiver can be attached to drones & how easy it is to get a direct hit on a radar dome. He explains why a fortefied shelter in a hirise apartment is useless if it is hit by a drone or missile. — RAD)

Theodore Postol is retired Professor of Science, Technology and National Security Policy in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT. He did his undergraduate work in physics and his graduate work in nuclear engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Postol joined the staff of Argonne National Laboratory, where he studied the microscopic dynamics and structure of liquids and disordered solids using neutron, x-ray and light scattering, along with computer molecular dynamics techniques. Subsequently he went to the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment to study methods of basing the MX Missile, and later worked as a scientific adviser to the Chief of Naval Operations. After leaving the Pentagon, Dr. Postol helped to build a program at Stanford University to train mid-career scientists to study developments in weapons technology of relevance to defense and arms control policy. In 1990 Dr. Postol was awarded the Leo Szilard Prize from the American Physical Society. In 1995 he received the Hilliard Roderick Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and in 2001 he received the Norbert Wiener Award from Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility for uncovering numerous and important false claims about missile defenses.