3D printers can now build a combat drone for the price of a laptop
Inventions
Modern warfare is being transformed by small manufacturers who can prototype lethal hardware in weeks, using cheap composites to mimic expensive military-grade machinery.
The era of million-dollar missiles is being challenged by machines that cost no more than a high-end MacBook. By using 3D-printed composites, engineers have slashed the production cost of a single long-range craft from $10,000 down to just $2,000. This shift has allowed for a staggering scale of production where some regions now deploy 9,000 units every single day.