The Shadow
Technological innovation in warfare fuels American strength.
The American Civil War introduced numerous innovations in warfare, including tethered gas balloons for aerial reconnaissance as well as ironclad gunboats.
Throughout the history of our country, perhaps no weapon was more impactful than the atom bomb. The bomb helped the United States force Japan’s surrender and end World War II.
Later, during the Cold War, the United States deployed the world’s first-of-its-kind fleet of nuclear-powered ships, including submarines. This advantage cemented the status of American naval power in the world.
The evolution of modern military technologies continues to reverberate in the 21st century.
A central component of this evolution is the proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones.
The drone universe is incredibly diverse and the settings for their uses continue to grow.
The range of these technologies extends from niche surveillance tools to critical features of modern military power. They support counterterrorism missions, maritime security, and rapid-response scenarios.
Further, many cheap, commercially adapted drones now perform reconnaissance, artillery spotting, electronic warfare and kamikaze strikes.
Meanwhile, advanced militaries deploy stealthy combat drones, swarming systems capable of overwhelming defenses, and counter‑drone technologies such as directed‑energy weapons and electronic jamming.
Collectively, these advancements have reshaped battlefield dynamics. Persistent surveillance, precision strikes, and smaller actors who historically lacked access to advanced airpower represent the dramatic rise in drone activity for combat.
Modern conflicts and military strategies now reflect the reliance on drone technologies.
Exhibit A? The Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The power of drones was on display during the early weeks of the conflict when Ukrainian drones substantially halted a Russian convoy of Russia’s best tanks.
Further, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remarked that Russia fired nearly 1,500 drones at Ukraine during a recent four-day period in August.
Russian drone incursions into Eastern Europe are unsettling our European allies. Germany recently accused Russia of trying to launch a drone attack on a German airport.
Meanwhile, Iran’s drone program, propped up by Russian interests, continues to target American military assets and threaten stability in the Middle East.
Further, Iran helped supply the Maduro regime in Venezuela with UAV capabilities that put American shores within striking distance.
This growing industry shows that numerous militaries, namely America’s adversaries, view drones as a vital technology for success.
Accordingly, the Trump Administration and Republican Congress are working to support American military adjustments to this new reality.
President Trump’s “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” Executive Order calls for measures that support American leadership in the drone space.
This summer, President Trump introduced a drone tariff program. This program is meant to reduce our reliance on foreign countries for drone components and parts, bolster American drone production and protect U.S. national security.
Further, in the 2025 reconciliation package, I voted for the Working Families Tax Cuts which invested $1.4 billion to expand the American unmanned aerial system (UAS) industrial base!
Hundreds of millions in additional federal funds from the bill will support the development, procurement and integration of UAS technologies.
The federal demands to increase our understanding and development of drone technologies has the attention of leading institutions, including Virginia Tech.
In late August, I attended a ribbon-cutting for the new Virginia Tech Counter-UAS Testing & Research Center.
This Center is one of only nine UAS test sites designated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Other speakers at the program included President Tim Sands, Dr. Eric Paterson of the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, Senator Mark Warner and Mr. Tombo Jones of the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership.
Jones noted the sophisticated technologies that strengthen the stealth of drones. Thanks to advances, these UAVs can fly undetected by radio frequency detection systems and at extremely high speeds.
This shows the urgent need to develop counter-UAS technologies.
Further, the event featured a live swarm demonstration, a drone library and a radar system platform.
The Center will operate an indoor lab and an outdoor range as part of its initiatives.
With the Center up and running, we are excited that Virginia Tech will provide key insights into counter-UAS technologies, help U.S. national security and project American strength.
The projection of American strength requires an integration of next generation systems.
As military weapons and technologies transform, it is vital that America not only keep pace, but stay ahead.
We recognize that letting our adversaries have the upper hand in advanced weaponry threatens American interests and freedom around the world.
I will continue to support policies that strengthen American military readiness, facilitate American technological progress and accelerate American drone power.
If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at https://morgangriffith.house.gov/.
