United States versus Iran, the war of unequal forces that neither side could win
A simple example of asymmetric warfare: an Iranian drone flies to strike gas facilities in Qatar. The cost of the projectile, depending on the model and year, ranges between about $18,000 and $46,000. A U.S.-made Patriot air-defense interceptor is then launched to destroy it. Each missile of this type costs around $3.5 million. Moreover, to ensure a hit, two interceptors are usually fired. The cost‑benefit ratio of the interception can reach as much as 1 to 10 in favor of the unmanned attacking aircraft. In other words, it is more expensive to shoot down a drone (using kinetic means rather than electronic warfare) than to launch it. This example partly explains what has happened in the war between the United States — alongside Israel — and Iran.
