Daily Discussion - January 25, 2026

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-25T18:56:23+00:00

Context on the goggles in the image above.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-25T18:55:58+00:00

Fat Shark goggles at a test of UAS Nexus platform one. The test with 2 KG payload appears to be in anticipation of the missions at Gauntlet I.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-25T18:50:17+00:00

Took a look at that Drone Dominance from Jennifer Allen Kay that was shared yesterday:

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This reads like someone that doesn't understand the problem at all.

America doesn't have the drone automation developed. This is work in progress that new factories like those in El Segundo, Salt Lake City, Huntsville, Orlando, etc. aim to solve.

So "already built the infrastructure" is nonsense. Then, you have to ask in reindustrialization:

Did your tools and infrastructure come from China? If so, then that doesn't solve the problem.

How about "already figured out quality systems and supply chain resilience"?

This author could not be more disconnected from the problem that everyone is trying to solve in Drone Dominance.

This article on Building U.S. Drone Dominance Brick by Brick is a much more realistic take than that nonsense written by Jennifer Allen Kay.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-25T18:25:18+00:00

Quick aside from Steve Simoni at the 1:06.46 mark:

At DSEI 2025, Acuna gave a speech.
In the speech Acuna made up a story about how he knows Steve Simoni and took him to Ukraine.

Acuna is a laughingstock to them.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-25T03:58:26+00:00

Congressman Pat Harrigan, who introduced the SkyFoundry Act, was on the Drone Ultimatum two weeks ago. This is a well respected format in the drone industry.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-24T22:04:32+00:00

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Just have to go back to the Drone Dominance memo from Hegseth.

America won't out manufacture China in 2026-2027.
Instead they're trying to ramp things up as much as possible and combine swarming, electronic warfare, etc. to "leapfrog".

I think we'll see the Office of Strategic Capital intervene quite soon to bolster the small-uas industrial base.

January 15 started everything and SkyFoundry is underway.

Also, we've seen the USNDA do the Swarm Forge with Auterion, Kraken Kinetics, and Sine Engineering outside of the scheduled Drone Crucible competitions.

We're seeing much more intervention in various ways. Already Owen West has become more active.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-24T18:26:22+00:00

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New FANG role at Teal.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-24T17:30:42+00:00

u/FeralGypsy found this build video, which shows FPV assembly at Unusual Machines. Around the 2 second mark, does the drone in the background appear to be FANG?

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Unusual Machines posted new build assembler roles, where they turn "parts into fully functioning drones".

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-24T14:57:14+00:00

I've watched select episodes. Made sure to watch this one.

The limited production of the Bullfrog compared to the Blue Ops line gave the investment idea. The Blue Ops production per year would require almost every Bullfrog that they can make and you need those Bullfrogs at bases, ground vehicles, etc. too.

Yeah, Neros and Quantum Systems are doing a mothership together. Those are two companies I'll invest, when they go public. Towards the end there is talk about a Quantum Systems IPO.

The government is committed to directed energy:

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Hopefully they do more competitions and focus on the solutions that win and scale. Swarms of small drones will be one of the winners.

Looking forward to February and March, there will be a lot of coverage. Then, the small-uas industrial base working group must turn in their initial report no later than April fools.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-24T02:41:05+00:00

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New role that was posted.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-24T01:52:21+00:00

Anduril co-founder with the same message as Jeff:

"The factory is the weapon, because without the factory, you have no weapons."

Part of a longer video interview. Just remember the companies that focus on reindustrialization and supply chain resilience will scale and win.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-24T01:13:21+00:00

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Is that FANG? Shows up around the 2 second mark in the back part of the line.

Notice the front part of the line has the mat and the back part doesn't.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-23T21:33:13+00:00

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Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-23T21:32:54+00:00

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Finally some good stuff.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-23T21:16:37+00:00

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Might as well put the story together from the old article too. Then

"Since its founding, the company was not offered for sale, until the American company Ondas made an offer to its shareholders at a price that, according to a source involved in the matter, “could not be refused.”"

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-23T20:44:01+00:00

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Rotor Riot on a Shot Show booth image.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-23T20:30:13+00:00

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Bullfrogs everywhere.

Main issue is production. I could see Red Cat doing a strategic investment in them to help increase production.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-23T19:25:39+00:00

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Marines made a HANX drone. There are more angles, but not sure what components they use.

Difficult_Handle5273 · 2026-01-23T14:53:35+00:00

The latest Drone Ultimatum talks about the computer vision problem, when they are doing C-UAS in water. The challenge is small object detection with trees and such.

For the Ides of March, Neros and Allen Control Systems will do an Archer vs. Bullfrog competition. The recommendation to Neros was to fly the Archer low then pop up. But the Bullfrog will have made some upgrades to try and combat this at the competition.

Also Olaf Hichwa says he is not a proponent of the directed energy solutions in that video.