An unverified video of Ukrainian unit taking down a Shahed drone with an American-made interceptor comes as the U.S. Army seeks to field drones at scale.
At an Industry Day, the Air Force will field solutions from vendors about a next generation long-range weapon with air-to-air and air-to-surface variants.
The Army should treat drones like ammo, one officer said, estimating a brigade needs between 1,000 to 1,500 drones per week in sustained combat operations.
Fire Point's drones already fly most of Kyiv's strikes inside Russia. With Germany's Hensoldt, the company is now building Freyja, a homegrown alternative.
Pentagon research has been hampered by backlogged security clearances, limited funds to build or refurbish labs and a slow and difficult hiring process.
As U.S. lawmakers worry over the munitions stockpile, Lockheed Martin announced a multiyear contract to increase THAAD production from 96 to 400 a year.
