Defense industry

[rogermunibond]

So ever since Bill Perry's last supper in 1993, the defense industry has been in consolidation mode.  Now there's five main defense prime contractors.

 

How long before the current wave of technology (AI/LLM, autonomy, air/land/sea drones, robotics, hypersonic missiles) start eating into the defense prime contractors main business?  Does the US need aircraft carrier groups when autonomous hypersonic missiles can hunt down carriers easily?  Do we need trillions of dollars spent on the F-35 when autonomous drone swarms can operate the same missions?  Do we need M-1 Abrams tanks on the battlefield since they are so easily targeted by drones?  

 

Interesting Tyler Cowen podcast on defense innovation

https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/christopher-kirchhoff/

 

Bill Perry's last supper

https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2023/03/01/the-last-supper-how-a-1993-pentagon-dinner-reshaped-the-defense-industry