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Quantity has a quality all of its own when low cost and low tech munitions can overwhelm and out compete high cost high tech war machines. Also, wars with fewer to no human casualties could be fantastic for the defense industries world wide. The drones take out the other drones and all it takes is getting the government to pay contractors to build them, whether they are effective or not.

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Problem is, the incentives seem hopelessly misaligned to let that happen.

The military-industrial complex seems perfectly designed to go after very large and expensive projects. They’re great for creating jobs, keeping the politicians happy. Shareholders love it. And the military is far from innocent: I’ve heard that a common sentiment held by career officers is that you want to always attach yourself to the new, big project, as that’s how you advance up the ranks. Commanding a drone squad doesn’t make you a general.

Where do you launch those drones from? Continental USA are far away from everything.

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