The SupplyChainBrain Podcast Can U.S. Manufacturing Meet the Needs of Defense and Aerospace?
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Feb 20, 2026 Brendan Stewart, SVP of Government and Regulatory Affairs at RedCat, a drone and robotics leader for defense, discusses rapid procurement for fast-cycle aerospace tech. He talks about modernizing buying processes, reshoring parts to reduce China reliance, building a U.S. drone parts ecosystem, and how military and civilian drone tech overlap. He also covers scaling production and adapting manufacturers to new rules.
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Procurement Must Match Drone Innovation Speed
- Defense procurement must shift from multi-year programs to rapid, enterprise-style innovation cycles for short-lived tech like drones.
- Brendan Stewart contrasts F-35 multi-decade programs with drones that have 18-month to 3-year lifespans requiring faster procurement and block tranches.
Conflicts Are Accelerating Drone Innovation
- Real-world conflicts like Ukraine accelerated drone and counter-drone innovation at breakneck speed, exposing gaps in traditional defense R&D.
- Stewart cites drone bombers and fiber-optic strike munitions as examples that weren't anticipated by legacy programs.
Invest In Manufacturing Infrastructure Not Just Purchases
- Use government funds to build manufacturing infrastructure and strategic capital, not just to buy finished products.
- Stewart points to the Office of Strategic Capital and reconciliation money as tools to scale industry and government capabilities.