The Pentagon is prepping for drone warfare – But Silicon Valley drone startups still rely on parts made in China

News Snapshot:

As the U.S. military ramps up plans for large-scale drone deployment to offset China’s growing presence in the Pacific, one uncomfortable truth stands out: many of the Silicon Valley startups building America’s next-gen military drones are still sourcing critical parts from China—the same nation those drones are meant to deter. A recent Forbes report highlights the scale of the problem: China controls nearly 90% of the global commercial drone market and produces much of the core hardware—airframes, batteries, radios, cameras, and screens—that powers the industry. “China currently controls close to 90 percent of the global commercial drone market, and manufactures...