For too long the US was using $2 million missiles to fight $300-$30000 threats. No longer.
There is shift and and armraces of the cheap, good enough drones. The US now has cheap $35000 drones too and combat lasers are getting deployed for $5 per shot defense.
It is $35000 drone for $35000 drone and a $100 billion munition and drone budget along with the expensive budget. The US will get getting 340,000 of the cheap drones by 2028. This would be a $10 billion procurement. $30 billion per year for a million cheap drones. No one else has the military budget to match. Quantity has a quality all of its own.
Israel and US have deployed lasers (tiny numbers so far but have been used) in the 60-100 kw Class ($1-5 per shot). 150 kw tested and deploying in 2027-2028, about 7km range now, At 250-300 kw will have about 21 km range.
Every truck, tank, vehicle will eventually have drone cover.
In a year so there will be 5-10 destroyers with 60 kw Helios, then 150-300kw.
44 Stryker armored vehicles with 50kw within 24 months – $679M procurement.
There will be more more 10-30kw anti drone JLTVs. Lasers will be a standard defense layer with missiles. These can take out the balsa wood $10 drones and also destroy the $300 drones.
The 100X larger US industrial capacity will be. unleashed with an affordable disposable layer. China can match the US industrial capacity. But China has not proven a beyond SAP military theater software integration live. It takes 2 years to install a company wide SAP software and it takes decades to develop a competitive software system of big company wide complexity. The US military software coordination is far more complicated.
There is also the experience gap. It is like video game players, the new video game player gets wrecked by the experienced player. Marianas Turkey shoot in WW2. Japan Zeroes matched the US planes but Japan lost almost all experienced pilots at Midway. New pilots were no match for experienced pilots. Need 2 years of actual combat to become effective.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
Eric Trump is (recently) invested in the Israeli drone company Xtend (XTEND).
Don Trump Jr (recently) is invested in Unusual Machines drone company (UMCA).
The U.S. Department of Defense has (recently) awarded contracts to Unusual Machines, Don Trump Jr’s company, and to Xtend drones, Eric Trump’s company.
The two companies have announced a merger.
The merged company will be predominantly Israeli-owned.
After the $1.5 billion merger, planned for mid 2026, Israeli based XTEND shareholders will own about 70% of the company.
Israel will control the production of America’s drones.
Remember the pagers?
Corruption sinks nations.