How Drones Are Changing the Business of War

Drones have been in the headlines a lot lately. On Friday, we reported that Munich saw the latest in a string of airport closures after drones were detected in European airspace. These drones are different from the ones that were in use even a decade ago, as the capabilities of even the cheapest drones have evolved on the battlefields of Ukraine and Russia. And the West is falling behind, something the Trump administration is seeking to address with a potential deal that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s battle-hardened drone tech. Alistair MacDonald, who covers Ukraine and the defense industry for the Journal, discusses the big business of drones, how Ukraine became a leader in the industry and how the West could catch up. Alex Ossola hosts. Further Reading: Europe to Push Back as Illegal Drone Incursions Multiply Trump’s Drone Deal With Ukraine to Give U.S. Access to Battlefield Tech Inside NATO’s Scramble to Shoot Down Russia’s All-Night Drone Raid Over Poland Drone Incursions Force Airport Closures in Copenhagen, Oslo Denmark Says New Drone Flights Over Military Base, Airports Are ‘Hybrid Attack’ Suspected Russian Drone Incursions Expose Gaps in NATO Defenses Europe to Push Back as Illegal Drone Incursions Multiply Ukraine’s Supply Runs Turn to Nightmares as Drones Menace Roads Far Beyond the Front A Never-Ending Supply of Drones Has Frozen the Front Lines in Ukraine Every Nation Wants to Copy Iran’s Deadly Shahed Drone Military Drones Could Be Defense Industry’s Big Bubble, Rheinmetall’s CEO Says AI-Powered Drone Swarms Have Now Entered the Battlefield Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices