Drones and the US Air Force

An analysis of modern drone warfare—using Ukraine as context—argues that low-cost, proliferated drones outmatch the U.S. Air Force’s focus on expensive F‑35A jets, citing cost and readiness trade-offs (e.g., tens of thousands of $30k “Sunflower” drones for the lifecycle cost of one F‑35A). The U.S. Army is portrayed as adapting faster, canceling its future reconnaissance helicopter, retiring Shadow and Raven systems, and rapidly procuring 600 Coyote counter‑drone drones to better protect troops.