Marketplace All-in-One The U.S., Iran, and the rise of drone warfare
Mar 3, 2026
Sarah Kreps, director at the Tech Policy Institute and expert on drone policy, unpacks the rise of one-way 'loitering' munitions and how cheap, mass-produced drones are reshaping warfare. She discusses saturation strikes, differences between small and larger systems, evolving civilian risks, AI’s role with humans still in the loop, and how drones may change the length and cost of conflicts.
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U.S. Reverse Engineered Kamikaze Drones
- The U.S. adapted cheap Iranian kamikaze drone designs into mass-producible loitering munitions called Lucas drones.
- These reverse-engineered drones are far cheaper than missiles and used to overwhelm air defenses via saturation attacks.
Saturation Attacks Let Cheap Drones Beat Air Defenses
- Saturation attacks use large numbers of cheap, expendable drones to overwhelm radar and air defenses.
- Sarah Kreps describes these being used in initial U.S. strikes to get through defenses without risking pilots.
Drone Spectrum Ranges From Hobby To Carrier Launchers
- Drone warfare spans from hobbyist-sized craft with strapped explosives to larger table-sized loitering munitions launchable from carriers.
- The U.S. military now uses both low-end disposable drones and larger agile drones that are cheap to produce.