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PilotPhotog PodcastAuthor: PilotPhotog
A podcast all about fighter planes, military aircraft, and aviation history. We will take a look at the pilots, designers, engineers, and maintainers who have flown or worked on some of the most iconic aircraft in history. Available on all podcast steaming platforms, you can find a full directory here: https://pilotphotog.buzzsprout.comWant even more content? You can subscribe to my free newsletter here: hangarflyingwithtog.comFollow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @pilotphotogNow you know! Language: en-us Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Cheap Drones, Costly Lessons
Monday, 23 February, 2026
Enjoyed this episode or the podcast in general? Send me a text message:What if the smartest move isn’t building the strongest shield, but flooding the sky with cheap spears? We unpack the rise of LUCAS, a $35,000 one-way attack drone that turns the cost math of modern warfare on its head and forces a rethink of deterrence, doctrine, and industry. By studying adversary tactics and embracing “good enough,” we show how the United States pivoted from slow, exquisite programs to rapid, scalable production—and why mass is becoming a weapon in its own right.We walk through LUCAS’s core pillars—long range, autonomy, and flexible launch—and explain how a simple, loud airframe becomes a precision tool when paired with onboard processing and mesh networking. From truck rails to Navy decks, we explore how any flat surface can become a launchpad for stand-in strikes, SEAD, and decoy operations. The turning point arrives at sea: a shipboard launch that signals a doctrinal shift, letting small combatants project long-range power without risking pilots or million-dollar missiles.Behind the scenes, the real transformation is industrial. Borrowing from the Liberty Ship and Sherman tank playbooks, production spreads across many vendors to build resilience and speed. We dig into how procurement hacks cut timelines to months, how swarms saturate and exhaust defenses, and how cost-exchange dominance opens the door for high-end jets to strike clean. We also face the hard questions: command-and-control of autonomous swarms, deconfliction in crowded skies, rules of engagement, and the coming race in lasers and electronic warfare that aims to counter drones for pennies on the dollar.The takeaway is a blended future: exquisite aircraft where they matter, attritable mass where it counts, and an industrial base that acts like a weapon system. Subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation—and tell us: does “good enough at scale” make us safer, or just change the game?Support the showTo help support this podcast and become a PilotPhotog ProCast member: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1555784/supportIf you enjoy this episode, subscribe to this podcast, you can find links to most podcast streaming services here: PilotPhotog Podcast (buzzsprout.com) Sign up for the free weekly newsletter Hangar Flyingwith Tog here: https://hangarflyingwithtog.com You can check out my YouTube channel for many videos on fighter planes here: https://youtube.com/c/PilotPhotog If you’d like to support this podcast via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PilotPhotog And finally, you can follow me on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/pilotphotog
