Market / programme analysis
Par parti pris · 1 takes across the edition
Defense Security Monitor (Forecast International) · United States · Pentagon's counter-drone budget nears $1B as lasers and microwaves push toward fielding
Tracks the counter-drone funding surge — executive orders, FAA approval for high-energy laser systems, and a near-$1B FY27 request — while cautioning that the laser narrative is 'a 2030 story being told as a 2026 story', with EW and reusable interceptors carrying the near term.
“The laser narrative is a 2030 story being told as a 2026 story; EW and reusable interceptors carry the near-term counter-drone fight.”