A possible wartime need for combat drones would outstrip US production of these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Defense One news outlet has reported, referring to the Washington-Beijing rivalry in the field.
The US currently lags behind China in terms of the drones-related production output and quality, with expensive American UAVs often being not as good as their cheaper Chinese rivals, according to the outlet.
"Products from Chinese manufacturers such as DJI and Autel are still able to perform better in almost every regard, making them the clear choice when purely price-to-performance ratio is a deciding factor," Defense One cited an unnamed source as saying.
When it comes to a price tag, US drones approved for military use reportedly cost three to five to times as much as Chinese UAVs with similar specifications.
With the US-made drones’ price standing at $65,000 apiece, American soldiers have expressed "heartache" over experimenting with these UAVs given the risk of breaking or losing them, another insider told Defense One.