Drone and AI Warfare
Ikenna@davinci
−8.8%
since Oct 8
The idea
I think military spending keeps tilting toward cheap drones and the AI that flies them, with orders growing through 2027. Most winners are still private, so the core of this basket is public suppliers making the motors, chips, and cameras every drone needs, plus a slice of public drone makers whose stocks dropped this year and have room to recover, with AI software as the steadier anchor. I'm keeping it concentrated with a cash cushion to add if prices fall further, and treating this as a one to two year idea tied to how contract rounds actually play out.
What it owns
- Whoever wins Pentagon drone contracts still purchases motors, chips, cameras and electronics from specialized suppliers across the defense industrial base. · Unusual MachinesIt supplies motors and components to US drone builders regardless of which company wins Pentagon orders, benefiting from sustained domestic drone production., Teledyne TechnologiesIt produces thermal cameras and infrared sensors that enable drones to operate at night and through obscured conditions, essential for autonomous flight., Mercury SystemsIt manufactures rugged computing systems for military use, including servers designed to run artificial intelligence processing in field environments., AmbarellaIt makes low-power chips that enable artificial intelligence vision processing directly on drones, allowing autonomous target recognition without external data links., Karman HoldingsIt manufactures subsystems for missiles and drones, participating in the supply chain for precision strike platforms., AllientIt produces precision motors and motion control systems integrated into drones and military equipment., KopinIt makes small displays and optical components used in military targeting sights and headsets through which personnel view drone feeds.39%
- Public drone manufacturers whose valuations fell this year stand to gain significantly if new military production orders materialize. · Kratos Defense & Security SolutionsIt builds low-cost jet-powered combat drones designed to be expended in operations, a category the Pentagon is shifting resources toward., AeroVironmentIt manufactures Switchblade loitering munitions and small military drones that align with the Pentagon's shift toward cheaper autonomous systems., Red Cat HoldingsIt builds small reconnaissance drones for the US Army, offering direct exposure to military adoption of low-cost autonomous platforms., Ondas HoldingsIt produces autonomous drones and counter-drone systems, diversifying the take with both offensive and defensive capabilities.31%
- Software that integrates military data and coordinates drone operations on long-term government contracts forms the backbone of this basket. · Palantir TechnologiesIt provides the software military operations use to aggregate data and run drone coordination missions on multi-year defense contracts., BigBear.ai HoldingsIt sells artificial intelligence analytics software to defense and government agencies, providing analytical capability for drone operations and military decision-making.17%
- Cash13%