Drones and the Reshaping of Close Combat Firepower

The widespread use of drones and loitering munitions has fundamentally altered the economics and dynamics of close combat. What began as a niche capability has become a core driver of procurement priorities across modern armed forces. Lightweight, portable, and relatively inexpensive, drones provide tactical units with surveillance and precision-strike capabilities that once required costly platforms. For industry and finance, this shift is significant: the demand for small unmanned systems is recurring, resilient, and growing, as no army can afford to operate without them. Unlike long-range systems procured in decades-long cycles, drones follow shorter, high-turnover procurement paths, ensuring constant revenue streams. Defence investors should recognize that the rise of drones has created a structural market segment, less visible than fighter jets or tanks but increasingly central to sustained military spending.