A $500 quadcopter carrying a repurposed mortar round doesn't need to be sophisticated. It needs to be numerous, and it needs to be cheaper than whatever's sent up to stop it. That asymmetry — not any single breakthrough in drone technology — is the story reshaping air defense procurement this year.

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The Cost-Exchange Problem

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$500–2K
Typical FPV Airframe Cost
$150K+
Interceptor Missile Cost
300:1
Approx. Cost-Exchange Ratio

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"The airframe was never the expensive part. It was always the brain."

What's Actually Changing in Procurement

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Sourcing: This piece draws on public procurement filings (SAM.gov), open-source reporting, and defense industry press releases. No classified or export-controlled technical data is referenced. [Link primary sources inline as you write.]