Drone Strike
As the wars in Ukraine and Iran have made clear, low-cost drones have proven very effective at evading air defenses and destroying expensive hardware from artillery to tanks. These relatively low cost systems are now disrupting global supply chains and transportation networks. What used to require multi-billion-dollar air systems can suddenly be achieved with devices whose costs are measured in the thousands. Cheap, expendable drones force defenders to respond with vastly more expensive interceptors, turning cost asymmetry into a weapon. Further, advancements in artificial intelligence are making drone systems more capable and accurate. As a result, the global unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market expected to grow from $36.8bln in 2024 to $74.3bln by 2029.
Source: Center for New American Security, September 2024