Venture-backed defense firms are racing to onshore the manufacturing of specialized energetics and warheads to overcome critical global drone munition shortages.

Battlefield drone casualty evacuations are proving out high-risk autonomous logistics, triggering an influx of defense capital into dual-use unmanned aerial systems.

A severe shortage of domestic energetic materials has prompted venture-backed startups to overhaul how the U.S. manufactures explosives for next-generation drone warfare.