The US military is looking beyond traditional defence giants as it races to build a massive fleet of low-cost combat drones, turning instead to startups founded by drone racers and hobbyists and even companies with roots in golf course monitoring and aerial light shows, according to a report by the Washington Post. The push comes as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have highlighted the growing role of small, inexpensive drones on the battlefield. The Pentagon believes the US needs to rapidly expand its drone capabilities and has launched an 18-month competition called “Drone Dominance” to identify the most promising manufacturers. The contest offers companies a share of $1.1 billion in contracts to build up to 300,000 drones. The Trump administration has proposed an even larger investment, seeking $54.6 billion in next year’s defence budget to dramatically expand drone warfare programmes.

Full report : Seeking a $54 billion arsenal of killer drones, Pentagon turns to former hobbyists.