Even Donald Trump Jr’s investments in Pentagon drones are crashing

by Inside China Business [12-20-2025].

(RAD: Even before listening to this analysis, it should have been obvious to anyone following drone warfare in Ukraine that for the US to talk about "unleash US drone dominance" is fantasy. The US can't match performance of Russian drones in Ukraine & certainly not the cost. Furthermore, the Russian drone operators work directly with drone designers & manufactures to get constant upgrades for new battlefield conditions that are always changing. The US has no equivalent quick feedback cycle. — RAD)

The Pentagon is desperate to catch up to China and Russia, and has announced ambitious plans to "unleash US drone dominance."

But the Trump Administration's Executive Orders to advance drone manufacturing in the United States ironically repealed previous restrictions on Chinese components in US military drones.

The removal of those restrictions were a boon to drone companies that source parts from China. That includes Unusual Machines, a company with Donald Trump, Jr. as a key investor and board member.

The President's son has other investments in drone companies, who have also been awarded large Pentagon contracts. Anduril now carries a private valuation of over $30 billion.

But the performance of the drones themselves is poor, in testing with the US military, and under battlefield conditions in Ukraine. The US Navy and Air Force accuse the companies of "misguiding" them, and operators in Ukraine refuse to deploy US drones at all, even though they're free.

Closing scene, Donghu Park, Taizhou

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