The U.S. Air Force Is Giving Its Anti-Drone Efforts a Silicon Valley Twist

Weaponized off-the-shelf drones are a growing problem for U.S. troops, in part because commercial tech moves faster than the Pentagon programs that aim to counter it. So four U.S. Air Force captains took a novel approach to the problem. Working under AFWERX, the Air Force’s new tech innovation program,they partnered with tech accelerator Techstars to find start-ups and early-stage companies whose tech might help stop drones. But instead of turning these companies into standard defense contractors, they are aiming to help them mature into businesses that thrive on commercial sales as well.