Ukraine, which had no selection however to study quick, ultimately found out a greater reply. Ukraine developed low-cost interceptor drones that might 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 1000’s of them per 30 days. That’s higher math: a US$2,000 interceptor in opposition to a US$20,000 attacker.
Ukraine’s battlefield expertise, consequently, has turn into one of the crucial worthwhile assets on the planet, with American and allied forces asking Ukrainian drone specialists to share their data.
Why can’t the US churn out an answer of its personal? As a result of the US navy 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, sophisticated course of that may take a decade or extra to go from “we’d like one thing” to “right here it’s”. That course of runs by way of 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 navy service, such because the Air Pressure, for instance, drafts up a requirement and routes it by way of an inside service evaluate inside solely their department.
Till lately, this service-vetted requirement went by way of a Pentagon evaluate course of, the Joint Capabilities Integration and Growth System, the place all joint providers took a glance. This course of, which the Division of Protection led to 2025, required approval from navy officers.
Although the joint necessities course of was ended, implementation of a brand new system is way from full, and the present tradition doubtlessly stays. Beneath the previous necessities course of, it took over 800 days to get a requirement accepted.
