US Still Unprepared For Large-Scale ‘Cheap Drone’ Warfare

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – A drone ‘war is more silent and more deadly’ – U.S. is behind. The Vampire drone gripped two precious pieces of cargo tightly — a bomb for Russians and a delivery of still-warm KFC for the Ukrainians in the trench next to them.

What observers see on the dark, drone-infested front line in Ukraine is nothing like the battlespace that the U.S. and its allies have been training their troops for.

Belatedly, the Pentagon is starting to take notice. One of its online accounts was widely ridiculed among Ukraine watchers when it posted a video of a training exercise asking viewers whether they had ever watched a drone drop a grenade.

In fact, anyone can see thousands of such videos on Telegram channels and X accounts, some going back to as early as the first year of the war in Ukraine.

In July, War Secretary Pete Hegseth led a tour of a drone exhibition, calling drones “the biggest battlefield innovation in a generation, accounting for most of this year’s casualties in Ukraine.”

But the U.S. is still far behind Ukraine and peer rivals such as China and Russia when it comes to integrating drone technologies into the modern battlespace.

A typical U.S. commercial drone intended for military use can cost upwards of $80,000, while a basic Ukrainian FPV attack drone costs under $500. This 160-fold cost difference makes the U.S. systems economically unsustainable in a conflict that consumes approximately 10,000 drones per month.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense news from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

THE PDB – Not the President’s Daily Briefing, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF:    

HOMELAND DEFENSE

What happens when U.S. tries to build missile shield so ambitious that Russia and China start dreaming up weapons that no defense can stop? Two Russian demonstrations of systems built to sidestep U.S. defenses offered unsettling glimpse of that future.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Pentagon leaders defend Trump’s mobilization of Guard for first time since President deployed National Guard in U.S. cities. During Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Democrats lambasted the mission as egregious abuse of power by president, while Republicans contended effort was “essential” to protect homeland.

NORTHCOM commander overseeing National Guard deployments in Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago told lawmakers he had no intelligence to suggest military is facing an “enemy within,” in contrast to statements president made in September.

DEFENSE POLITICS

Navy submitted report on potential punishments for Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) over recent video where he and other Democrat lawmakers urged service members to disobey unnamed “illegal orders,” a move seen akin to inciting mutiny, or at least sowing doubts among troops about their chain of command.

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) criticized Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy’s outlook on Europe and Western Hemisphere and knocked Pentagon’s lack of details on spending plan for Golden Dome.

House passed major defense policy bill that would authorize $900.6 billion in discretionary defense spending in fiscal 2026 pushes release of boat strike video.

Pentagon must improve way it tests and evaluates big-ticket programs to get weapons into troops’ hands more quickly.

US POWER OVERSEAS

U.S. Navy Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine arrived in Scotland for routine port visit.

VENEZUELA-NARCO THREAT

F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from Vermont Air National Guard heading to Caribbean to join Operation Southern Spear. The latest part of buildup in region to counter narcotics and pressure Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.

Combat search & rescue aircraft, aerial refueling tankers arrive in Caribbean as U.S. military buildup accelerates, indicating potential strikes on land are coming.

U.S. sanctions six more ships after seizing oil tanker off Venezuela.

As noted earlier, U.S. preparing to seize more tankers off Venezuela’s coast after first ship taken.

CHINA THREAT

Secretary of Air cautioned U.S. should not assume China’s accelerating progress in space and missile technology is simply result of copying U.S. systems, as Beijing is demonstrating significant independent innovation.

China’s heavyweight jet-powered Jiutian drone, said to have maximum takeoff weight of 17.6 tons, has flown. Key mission: mothership for swarms of smaller uncrewed aerial systems.

U.S. strategic bombers, Japanese anti-ship combat fighters take flight to train together amid Japan-China tensions.

RUSSIA THREAT

NATO is Russia’s ‘next target,’ alliance’s top leader warns in call for military buildup. Time to prepare for potential war with Russia is running out, in a warning that chastised some allies for moving too slowly when it comes to ramping up defense spending.

UKRAINE WAR

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says U.S. pushing for Ukraine to withdraw its forces from Donetsk region to establish “free economic zone” in Kyiv-held parts of eastern Ukraine that Moscow wants to control.

Ukraine’s trains are a top Russian target. The trains need their own drone protection as Russia uses strike drones with increased range to step up attacks on Ukrainian logistics routes.

NATO-EUROPEAN DEFENSE

Norway-UK Qinetiq drills spotlight NATO mission readiness and how NATO forces have been sharpening their air and missile defenses across North Atlantic at time of deepening military cooperation between Britain and Norway.

Lithuania investing heavily in defense technology and surveillance systems to thwart escalating hybrid attacks involving balloons and drones from Russia-allied Belarus.

EU pushes Ukraine membership bid forward despite Hungary’s objections. it handed Ukraine long list of reforms needed to join the bloc, determined to push process forward despite ongoing war and objections from EU member Hungary.

Using EU loans, Croatia ordered 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks from German, a deal valued at almost $1.8 billion.

Close relationship between Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has brought the countries closer to resolving issues that led to Turkey being kicked off F-35 stealth fighter program.

SPACE THREATS

China and Russia are experimenting with stealth technologies aimed at making it harder for radar and telescopes to find their satellites.

Space Force and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) work to craft acquisition strategy with multiple contract awards for developing and fielding satellites that can track aircraft and drones.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded BAE Systems contract for software that aims to keep “constant custody” of large numbers of ground targets by automatically re-tasking sensors across government and commercial satellite constellations.

There’s a divide within the Space Force. House Armed Services Committee put Space Force on notice. The service, they said, was putting too much focus on operators and not enough on acquisitions corps—an imbalance that might ultimately harm military’s ability to preserve its edge in space.

NORTH KOREA THREAT

N Korea’s Kim hails ‘ever-victorious’ army’s role in war against Ukraine and promised to root out “evil practices” among some officials.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

South Korea’s Hanwha to invest in new $1 billion plant in U.S. to produce Modular Charge Systems (MCS) for 155mm howitzer ammunition as it seeks for its U.S. subsidiary to become full-fledged U.S. defense company.

US MILITARY

More than quarter-century after handing over the Looking Glass mission to Navy, Air Force is taking steps towards taking back the critical nuclear command, control, and communications function.

REPORT: Navy has experienced chronic delays and labor overruns in maintenance on large conventional ships (not nuclear-powered). Those delays can affect deployment schedules and limit operational readiness of the fleet.

Next Ford-class aircraft carrier, the JFK could start sea trials in early 2026, shipyard retention improving.

Marine Corps on track for troops to switch their specialty (MOS) and become small drone operators as it ramps up drone implementation across the force.

Troops will see average 4.2% boost in 2026 basic housing allowance.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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