Seeking a $54 billion arsenal of killer drones, Pentagon turns to former hobbyists

Source: Washington Post

A company that uses drones to analyze golf course grass. Another linked to a firm that hosts aerial light shows. And one founded by a 23-year-old former drone racing world champion.

Any of them, the Pentagon says, could represent the future of warfare as officials scramble to plug what they see as a gaping hole in the United States’ military arsenal. Conflicts in Ukraine and Iran have shown the value of small, cheap drones, and the Trump administration has concluded that the U.S. desperately needs to catch up.

Officials are turning to an eclectic mix of companies - some launched by onetime hobbyists - and pitting them against one another in Drone Dominance, an 18-month contest that launched this year. The prize is a share of $1.1 billion in defense contracts, a sum the Pentagon hopes will be enough to buy 300,000 of what are essentially cheap flying bombs.

The administration’s ultimate goals are even grander: Next year’s defense budget calls for $54.6 billion to fund a dramatically expanded drone-warfare unit.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/seeking-a-54-billion-arsenal-of-killer-drones-pentagon-turns-to-former-hobbyists-105511244.html