Former CIA chief Petraeus says drone swarms are the next danger — and growth opportunity
Former CIA chief David Petraeus warns that drone swarms represent a significant future threat in warfare. He highlights the effectiveness of Iran's inexpensive Shahed drones and the challenges they pose to current defense systems. Petraeus predicts a shift towards autonomous systems that can operate in swarms, complicating defense strategies further.
- ▪Iran's Shahed drones are cost-effective, ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 each.
- ▪Petraeus emphasizes that future warfare will increasingly involve unmanned and autonomous systems.
- ▪Current countermeasures may be inadequate against coordinated drone swarms.
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| Original publisher | CNBC — Tech |
| Canonical URL | https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/28/petraeus-unmanned-systems-autonomous-drones-defense-investment.html |
| Publication time | Wed, 27 May 2026 23:09:33 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-27T23:13:06.230Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-27T23:13:06.230Z |
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| Cluster | u_Sm73cZqh04 |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Iran's cheap Shahed drones have been a regular fixture in conflicts and proxy attacks across the region, while the U.S. and allies have often relied on more expensive air defense missiles to intercept them.Public estimates place the cost of a Shahed drone at roughly $20,000 to $50,000 each, far below the price of ballistic or cruise missiles, which can cost millions of dollars."There's going to be enormous spending on defense against what we've seen come from Iran, which is only a hint of the future war," he added. Petraeus pointed out that even a "modest" amount of drones has caused real problems, including cutting Qatar's liquefied natural gas production.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at CNBC — Tech.
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