A financial expert is sitting in a studio, being interviewed, dressed in a suit. The conversation is humorous, engaging, and professional. The main topic of discussion is: Not very long ago, quadcopter drones were just toys. Then they became tools, and now they're weapons, responsible for the majority of casualties on both sides in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Pentagon, like its counterparts around the world, is taking notes. But the vast majority of the world's drones are made in China by one Chinese company, DJI. As drone tech finds its way into increasingly sensitive use cases, that dominance is raising concerns, especially in light of the close partnership between the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese tech companies. A Silicon Valley company, Skydio, is the largest drone maker in the U.S. While it lags behind DJI's capabilities in certain ways, its autonomy AI has always been the best in the business. But to beat the Chinese, Skydio will have to survive in an environment dominated by a much larger rival selling far cheaper products. Recent bans at the state and federal level of Chinese-made drones have benefited Skydio and other American companies. But bans go both ways. The Chinese government has put the company on two different sanctions lists.