Countering Drones and the Pace of Modern War (warontherocks.com)

• Structural barriers in the U.S. defense acquisition process.
• Mismatch between rapid drone tech iteration and institutional response.
• Warning against inflated performance claims in support of active conflict zones.

"This analysis focuses on the U.S. defense industrial base's struggle to keep pace with counter-drone technological evolution. Leaders from AeroVironment, Epirus, and Hidden Level critique current military procurement processes, suggesting that bureaucratic friction hinders deployment speed. The discussion highlights a critical mismatch between rapid commercial innovation and traditional defense contracting cycles, alongside concerns regarding performance inflation of systems marketed for the Ukraine theater."