A global strategy to secure UAS supply chains

Issue BriefJune 25,2024 A global strategy to secure UAS supply chains By Matthew Kroenig and Imran Bayoumi Foreword:A US strategy for UAVs The United States has long been one of the worlds leading innovators,allowing it to rapidly adopt emerging technology to strengthen US national defense.This has been especially true in the field of aviation.From the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk to twenty-first-century strategic competition,the United States has made the maintenance of air superiority a major priority.Today,however,the Peoples Republic of China has built a near-insurmountable lead in the development and use of small,unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs).Benefiting from the Chinese Communist Partys(CCP)unfair trading practices,Chinese companies have come to dominate the global UAV market,which was valued at$31 billion in 2023.Chinese dominance of the global UAV industry poses a number of national security challenges for the United States.On the battlefield,drones play a crucial role in intelligence,surveillance,and reconnaissance(ISR),and in conducting strikes.Chinese leadership in UAVs provides the Peoples Liberation Army(PLA)with potential battlefield advantages.At home,these dev