Futurist
Photonics, Space, AI Infrastructure & Robotics Commentary
Drone makers stand to benefit as the Pentagon prepares to take equity stakes in them under a $1B Drone Dominance Program targeting 300,000 attack drones by 2027; when the government funds a theme, early investors win. The ecosystem spans tactical leaders AeroVironment and Kratos, autonomous systems providers AEVEX and Ondas, modular drone and software maker Red Cat, and domestic parts maker Unusual Machines. x.comÂ
Defense tech is shifting toward drones, autonomous systems and AI-driven decisions, and that spending is not going away but evolving, favoring AeroVironment, Kratos and Ondas. Defense is one layer of a larger interlocking system with photonics, space, robotics and energy, where owning the industry transition, rather than picking a single stock, drives wealth. x.comÂ
Drone and autonomy stocks are where government money is going next, as Trump pursues funding deals to boost domestic drone production. Dell is up over 50% since Trump said to buy it, and drone names could do the same once he announces picks. The list spans AeroVironment, Kratos, Red Cat, Ondas, Draganfly, Unusual Machines, Swarmer and Palladyne AI; counter-drone names DroneShield and L3Harris; and primes Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Textron, General Dynamics and Boeing. x.com x.comÂ
Drone stocks fell in 2026 even as backlogs hit records: Ukraine turned aircraft into ammunition, and the Pentagon's 2027 request holds nearly $75B for drones and counter-drone. AeroVironment's reordered loitering munitions and Kratos's jet drones are highest conviction. Counter-drone names Ondas, Axon, Motorola Solutions, Safe Pro, DroneShield and Rheinmetall gain as threats grow, Unusual Machines from Chinese-parts bans. Primes bury drone exposure; pure plays may not convert backlog. x.com … Show more
Red Cat's financial future looks uncertain: Q1 revenue was $15.5M against $29.3M of operating expenses, and its 13% gross margin has no clear path to the 30% target. Combat validation for its USVs belongs to a partner platform; its own Valdosta-built vessels are new and unproven in a named theater. It is too concentrated in aerial ISR, and the earnings call did not inspire confidence. Ondas, with 49% gross margins, over $1B raised and EBITDA-positive product units, is more compelling. x.com … Show more
Jan Zuazo Pfingsten
Thematic Investor, Physical Scarcity & AI Infrastructure, Primary-Source Research
Public defense stocks look mispriced because demand and private valuations are rising while their shares fall 20%. Anduril raised $5 billion at $61 billion, about 28x sales, while Ondas trades near 5x with a comparable counter-drone stack. The five primes' backlog rose 23.7% to $1.36 trillion, and the Pentagon's FY2027 request has $75 billion for drones and counter-drone tech. Peace rotates spending rather than ending it, and as in the 1990s, a bear market should spur small-cap consolidation. … Show more
Drone stocks could go on a tear this fall because drone funding is bipartisan, so a likely Democratic midterm win shouldn't derail the trade. Democrats backed Ukraine war funding and could pass bigger, faster aid. Drone bills, from the Chinese-drone ban to the COUNTER Act, have co-sponsors from both parties, so drones and counter-drones are the least contested part of the $1.5T budget. Nearly every drone stock beat and raised, yet sentiment is still depressed. LightPath stands out. x.com x.com … Show more
Ondas' long-term opportunity extends beyond drones into growing counter-drone and unmanned ground vehicle markets. Broad industry estimates for these markets rise from $90.6B in 2025 to $210B by 2033, with counter-drone systems the fastest-growing segment at 26.8% annually. That total is neither Ondas revenue nor its own addressable market and may include overlap. Bullish on the company's future, but execution must earn conviction. x.com x.comÂ
Trump's 100% tariffs on foreign-made drones should send demand soaring for US drone makers and suppliers. AeroVironment has a $1.2B funded backlog; Kratos has a $2.1B backlog and jet drones with no foreign substitute; Ondas, the fastest grower, posted a record $83.8M quarter. Red Cat's Black Widow is an Army program of record, Unusual Machines makes 15,000 NDAA-compliant motors a month, AIRO has a $163M drone backlog and LightPath's US-made infrared optics become the default. x.com x.com x.com … Show more
Drone and autonomous air mobility stocks stand to benefit as intelligence becomes AI-driven and execution becomes drone-based. The ecosystem spans defense drones and mission hardware at AeroVironment and Kratos, large autonomous defense systems at Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, secure drone-network communications at Ondas, swarm-coordination software at Unusual Machines, drone platforms at Draganfly, and electric aircraft and autonomous air mobility at Joby, Archer and EHang. x.comÂ
Defense money is rotating into next-generation drone makers such as AeroVironment and Red Cat, not just legacy plays like Lockheed's F-35, after NATO members pledged 5% of GDP to defense, roughly a second U.S. military budget. x.comÂ
Drone market growth to $100 billion by 2030, per Goldman Sachs, should lift five companies. Amazon has made over 100,000 Prime Air drone deliveries in US test markets. Kratos builds pilotless combat jets like the XQ-58 Valkyrie, with a $2 billion backlog and $15 billion pipeline. Ambarella's AI vision chips let drones see in real time. Leonardo DRS, about 80% Pentagon-funded, makes radar that downs enemy drones. Joby already earns from Blade's air taxis while awaiting FAA approval. x.com x.com … Show more
