The US Can’t Let China Dominate the Small-Drone Market
A new law and Pentagon procurement program should help tilt the playing field back to level for domestic manufacturers.
Chinese companies dominate the small-drone market.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
The US has been a dominant player in aerospace ever since engine-powered flying machines took to the skies more than a century ago. From warplanes to airliners to private jets the US has been a leader in the industry. The US government put men on the moon, and private US companies, with SpaceX out front, will most likely be the first to get people to Mars. US companies are also rushing to compete in the large electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, known by the unfortunate acronym EVTOLs.
There is one chief exception to the US’s aerospace leadership: small commercial drones.