A June 2024 Atlantic Council report argues the US should work with allies to secure the drone component supply chain, especially batteries and battery cells. China’s strong position in lithium and Russia’s nickel-mining capacity both complicate US efforts to secure the minerals batteries need. The report recommends alternative battery chemistries, trusted-country manufacturing, and NATO-level coordination on the underlying technology.
Why does battery supply matter so much for drone security?
Drones run on batteries, and the minerals those batteries need are concentrated in a small number of countries. China holds a strong position in the global lithium market. Russia has significant nickel-mining capacity. Both facts complicate any US strategy to build a drone supply chain independent of geopolitical rivals. The raw materials themselves are hard to source elsewhere.
What does the report actually recommend?
Three things stand out. First, supporting research and development into alternative battery chemistries, using public capital from the US and allied governments plus tax incentives to diversify battery inputs. Second, expanding trusted manufacturing. The Pentagon has already cleared drones from French manufacturer Parrot as secure and reliable through its Blue UAS program. That allows component-to-assembly manufacturing to happen in trusted countries. Third, using NATO as a coordination mechanism for allied governments working on the same emerging technology problems.
Who wrote this, and why does it matter?
The report was authored by Matthew Kroenig and Imran Bayoumi of the Atlantic Council, published in June 2024. It reflects a broader shift in how Washington treats drone manufacturing: not as a commercial electronics category, but as a national security supply chain. That framing brings the same kind of allied coordination applied to semiconductors or rare earth minerals.
Sources: Atlantic Council.
