Ukraine, which had no selection however to be taught quick, finally found out a greater reply. Ukraine developed low-cost interceptor drones that would slam into Shahed drones earlier than they reached their targets. Every interceptor prices about US$1,000 to US$2,000, and Ukrainian producers are producing hundreds of them monthly. That’s higher math: a US$2,000 interceptor towards a US$20,000 attacker.
Ukraine’s battlefield expertise, in consequence, has turn into one of the helpful assets on this planet, with American and allied forces asking Ukrainian drone specialists to share their information.
Why can’t the US churn out an answer of its personal? As a result of the US army doesn’t have a expertise downside however a paperwork downside.
THE PENTAGON’S THREE-LEGGED SLOWDOWN
The US Division of Protection sometimes can’t simply purchase issues. It follows an extended, difficult course of that may take a decade or extra to go from “we want one thing” to “right here it’s”. That course of runs via three separate bureaucratic programs, every of which might trigger years of delay.
First, somebody should write a proper doc, often called a requirement, that explains precisely what they want and why. A army service, such because the Air Pressure, for instance, drafts up a requirement and routes it via an inner service evaluate inside solely their department.
Till just lately, this service-vetted requirement went via a Pentagon evaluate course of, the Joint Capabilities Integration and Improvement System, the place all joint providers took a glance. This course of, which the Division of Protection resulted in 2025, required approval from army officers.
Regardless that the joint necessities course of was ended, implementation of a brand new system is way from full, and the prevailing tradition doubtlessly stays. Beneath the previous necessities course of, it took over 800 days to get a requirement authorized.
