Opinion | It's time to invoke the U.S. Defense Production Act to support a new battery technology revolution
Briefly

A revolution in global defense is focused on swarms of autonomous drones powered by AI and batteries. President Trump signed an executive order to enhance U.S. drone technology. However, reliance on Chinese-controlled battery supply chains threatens U.S. defense capabilities. The Ukraine conflict demonstrates new warfare realities, where inexpensive drones can neutralize high-value targets. The Pentagon is restructuring to implement thousands of drones across its divisions, addressing the critical reliance on battery technology as the new power source in warfare, indicating a significant shift from traditional oil dependence.
Access to oil has historically determined the outcome of wars. In the era of unmanned autonomous systems, batteries and AI systems now represent the new competitive advantage.
Nearly every autonomous system being deployed today relies on batteries that are dependent on Chinese-controlled supply chains, putting U.S. defense superiority at risk.
The Pentagon is restructuring significantly, equipping active-duty divisions with thousands, potentially millions, of drones as part of its Replicator Initiative to enhance military capabilities.
Ukraine has become a testing ground for new drone technology, employing small drones to successfully target expensive Russian strategic bombers, highlighting the changing nature of modern warfare.
Read at Fortune
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