Archive · Business Recorder
How cheap drones are rewriting the economics of war
In May 2026, a Ukrainian interceptor drone costing roughly $2,000 chased down a Russian Shahed over Kyiv. The Shahed cost about $35,000 to build. The missile that would otherwise have done the job costs over $1 million. That single engagement contains the entire story of how warfare’s economics have been upended, and why the world’s most powerful militaries are scrambling to adapt. For decades, the economics of defence moved in one direction: upwards. Fighter aircraft became more capable and vastly more expensive. Missiles became more precise and more costly. Warships grew so sophisticated tha...
ZAZTEK archives the headline, summary and publication date so the story stays findable. The full article remains the publisher's. Read it at Business Recorder →