The U.S. military is undergoing a transformation in its approach to weaponry, moving away from buying expensive, sophisticated systems towards more cost-effective, software-guided options. A notable example is the Roadrunner, a combat drone developed by Anduril, which demonstrates this shift as it is designed to be inexpensive, reusable, and capable of operating remotely from troops. This strategy aims to minimize risk to personnel while enhancing battlefield capabilities. The drive for such innovations is accelerated by ongoing conflicts, particularly those in Ukraine, marking a significant change in military procurement and strategy.
The device that took off in Texas, called the Roadrunner, was made by the Silicon Valley defense startup Anduril. By Pentagon standards, the Roadrunner is cheap (around a hundred thousand dollars apiece), and, if it fails to strike its target, it returns to base, ready to try again.
Instead of building small numbers of weapons that are super sophisticated and super expensive-a single F-22 stealth fighter, the world's best, costs three hundred and fifty million dollars-the focus is now on precision-guided drones and anti-drones whose main feature is the software that guides them to their targets.
The U.S. military is buying them by the thousands. The models for the wars of tomorrow are being fought in Ukraine.
U.S. officials are looking on with a growing sense of urgency as the future of warfare is being invented in places like Ukraine.
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