If you are making drones that are significantly worse and more expensive than Chinese drones, nobody is buying yours, everybody knows, you could be better even if Chinese drones are not allowed in your country

 

Critics and industry analysts agree that a simple ban on Chinese drones is insufficient if Western manufacturers cannot close the significant gap in price and performance.

 

Currently, non-Chinese drones often cost three to four times more than comparable Chinese models while frequently offering fewer features and less reliable software.

 

To become truly competitive, even under restrictive policies, Western drone makers must address several structural challenges:

 

    Supply Chain Integration: China’s dominance is rooted in a deep, localized manufacturing ecosystem in Shenzhen where every component—from specialized screws to flight controllers—is available at a fraction of the cost. Western firms must rebuild domestic supply chains for critical parts like lithium-ion batteries, motors, and sensors to reduce reliance on Chinese goodwill.

    Scale and Pricing: Companies like DJI benefit from massive economies of scale, producing millions of units annually compared to the thousands produced by U.S. competitors. Breaking this cycle requires significant capital investment to move beyond niche defense markets and into high-volume commercial production.

    Software and AI Innovation: While Chinese drones lead in hardware value, U.S. companies like Skydio and Shield AI are attempting to compete by focusing on autonomous flight and obstacle avoidance. However, experts note that American manufacturers are still "playing catch-up" in developing the user-friendly software and flight stabilization that consumers expect.

    Regulatory Support: Rather than just implementing bans, industry groups like AUVSI argue the government must provide sustained investment and clear regulatory pathways for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations to incentivize domestic innovation.

    Technical Fundamentals: Some critics argue that Western firms have relied too much on "off-the-shelf" parts and open-source code rather than mastering the fundamental hardware technologies—such as superior LTE-based wireless links—that give Chinese drones their edge. LTE-based wireless links are high-speed, 4G cellular connections enabling reliable mobile broadband, IoT communication, and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) without requiring Wi-Fi. These links utilize LTE antennas and SIM cards for internet access in remote locations, in-vehicle connectivity, and private network deployments for industries. Key technologies offer 100+ Mbps speeds and include LTE-M, NB-IoT, and LWA. LTE-M and NB-IoT are specific types designed for low-power, wide-area coverage suitable for battery-operated devices.

 

Since drones are now made only with motors based on Chinese rare earths, and Lithuanian politicians have forced us to buy everything from China with a markup from intermediaries, drone production in Lithuania cannot compete even in the EU. 

 

The Lithuanian mice of misery can only cry, moan, and complain in Delphi: "You know, it was hard, and now it will be oh, how hard":

 

“Every day we hear about drones used in military conflicts, which are launched into targets in huge groups. There is talk that automated drone swarms will essentially become a decisive and war-changing technology, but according to experts, neither Lithuania nor Europe in general has yet developed autonomous drone systems.

 

Vytenis J. Buzas, the head of the company “Unnamed Defence Systems” (UDS), which develops advanced defense technology solutions, notes that today drone swarms are more advertising noise than a real, working practice.

 

“To put it very simply, the advantage of drone swarms is not a technological miracle, but quantity and resilience. Instead of one expensive, complex device, you have many simpler units that together perform the same or a broader task. If you lose one, the system does not stop,” says the interviewee.

 

According to him, technology has matured for this change: electronics have become cheaper, communication has become good, basic, easily accessible algorithms have appeared that allow coordinating several drones.

 

However, what we could call a real automated drone swarm is not yet on the market.

 

“For an operator, a large flow of drones means a completely different view of the situation. With one, you work narrowly, you see one angle, one target. At the same time, with several you can already cover the territory, observe from different directions, react faster. However, human input is necessary here. The operator sets goals, chooses priorities, decides who the target is, when to continue or terminate the mission. As soon as uncertainty arises – interference, loss of communication, an unexpected situation – a person takes over responsibility,” notes V. Buzas.

 

“We are still moving from “many drones at once” to a real swarm. In reality, this is not a fully autonomous system. Today, the squad can do basic things on its own – keep distance, avoid collisions, sometimes share simple tasks. This works and really makes the operator’s work easier, but decision-making remains with the human,” he added.

 

Linas Gelažanskas, head of UAB “IT Logistika”, agrees, noting that the contribution of drones and all robotic systems to modern warfare is still underestimated, and when drone squads begin to communicate with each other and coordinate actions, we will have a real military coup.

 

“Few people appreciate how heavily unmanned aircraft and remotely controlled ground, water and underwater robots are being used in the events in Ukraine. This is already changing the doctrine of war, although many do not attach importance to it. When we move to decentralized control, when robots start talking to each other and sharing information, then it will be extremely difficult to resist attacks, just as it will be difficult to gain an advantage when attacking,” said L. Gelažanskas.

Lithuania looks good, but lacks political will

 

Speaking generally about the drone market, according to L. Gelažanskas, Lithuania started producing and developing technologies very timely and in the right place. There are many companies interested in the opportunities, but they all face one problem.

 

“Technologies are changing so quickly that the military and institutions are afraid to purchase equipment because they know that the technology can become obsolete very quickly. But in this case, we find ourselves in a situation where companies are developing and producing, but no one is buying,” the interviewee said.

 

According to him, this is the most direct path to bankruptcy, because companies are not provided with opportunities to test and improve products. At the same time, V. Buzas emphasizes that in the European context, Lithuania looks advanced and ensures high quality.

 

“We have a strong foundation in Lithuania – we are developing UAV platforms, sensors, communication solutions. These are necessary parts, without which swarms/squads do not work at all. We are competitive in this area and we are moving quickly,” he said.

 

“However, autonomy itself – as in all of Europe – is still in the development stage. There are tests, prototypes, partial functions, but there are no fully reliable systems operating in complex conditions yet.

 

It is important that the main challenges are not theoretical, but very practical – communication in an environment of interference, energy limitations, computing resources, reliability. And this is where beautiful concepts often fall apart,” the interlocutor added.

 

At the same time, L. Gelažanskas encourages the country's institutions to be more courageous in accepting and testing technologies developed by Lithuanians and using what is currently created on the market.

 

“If we want to grow stronger as a state and an industry in this area, we must buy what is on the shelves of Lithuanian companies today. Let it not be the technologies of the future, but today, but in principle, this is the only way we will be able to reinvest and start creating technologies of the future,” said L. Gelažanskas.

Drones in Europe – one of the most important topics

 

The issue of drones is becoming increasingly prominent in the European Union, not only in the context of production, but also in the context of defense. According to Marius Vasčega, Head of the European Commission Representation in Lithuania, the aim is not only to develop drone capabilities capable of destroying ground targets, but also, on the contrary, to create systems capable of detecting and destroying unwanted drones on the territory of the country.”