Forbes: US military races to catch up in drone warfare amid rising global threats

The United States may have the world’s most advanced military, but it is lagging behind in one crucial area: drone warfare. Despite its dominance in air, sea, and land power, experts warn that the US is playing catch-up as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) reshape modern conflict.

According to a Forbes analysis, the Pentagon has made progress, but its counter-drone and drone development efforts still trail behind rapid global advancements—particularly those demonstrated on the battlefields of Ukraine. The war there has shown how small, inexpensive drones can deliver devastating results, with Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb destroying nearly a dozen Russian bombers in a single coordinated strike. 

Eric Brock, CEO of Ondas Holdings, the parent company of American Robotics, said the US remains vulnerable to a potential large-scale drone assault.

“The short answer is no, not yet,” Brock explained in an email to Forbes. “There has been meaningful progress, but the scale and complexity of the drone threat far outpace current counter-UAS capabilities.”

Brock noted that while the Department of Defense has invested heavily in layered counter-drone systems combining detection, electronic warfare, and kinetic defences, the challenge is growing faster than current solutions.

“We’re not just talking about defending fixed installations or forward operating bases,” he added. “Drones are now pervasive across every domain: land, sea, and air. Further, the threat isn’t just on the battlefield as there is a massive vulnerability on US soil across government and the private sector.”

Developing an effective national defence against drone threats, he said, will require sustained investment and industrial capacity.

“The work done over the past 18–24 months to validate the right mix of sensors, effectors, and command-and-control will start showing up in more systematic deployments in 2026,” Brock continued. “But this is a generational effort. The U.S. will need to continuously modernize and integrate counter-drone capabilities as a core element of its defense posture, not as a short-term response.”

The conflict in Ukraine, he emphasised, has fundamentally transformed warfare, making drones central to the fight. 

Allan Evans, CEO of Unusual Machines and a former World Economic Forum Pioneer, said the US government is moving in the right direction—but needs to accelerate procurement and production.

Agencies including the Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation are pushing policy changes to boost domestic production, but Evans argued that Congress must enable procurement and open up funding to maintain momentum.

Both Evans and Brock stressed the need to strengthen the US drone industrial base and reduce dependence on Chinese-made components, which currently dominate the market for small drones. Evans noted that supply chain issues, such as battery shortages, have already hurt domestic manufacturers like Skydio.

Experts agree that drones will complement, not replace, traditional military platforms. Brock said that while low-cost drones have changed the battlefield and exposed weaknesses in legacy systems, manned aircraft like the F-35 remain vital for maintaining air dominance and coordinating complex operations.

He also suggested that the future of warfare will depend on balancing manned and unmanned systems in an integrated force structure—one capable of adapting and scaling to meet threats in increasingly contested environments. To achieve this, he said, Washington and industry leaders must maintain clear roadmaps and sustained investment to ensure the US remains competitive in the drone era.

By Sabina Mammadli