Drones push defense budgets to the brink as Iran expands campaign

Iranian-designed drones are driving up the price of air defense in the Middle East and beyond, with Ukrainian-made Sting interceptors touted as a far cheaper alternative to costly Patriot systems. The debate centers on whether mass, low-cost drones can be countered without exhausting expensive stockpiles, as experts stress that capacity and sustainability may matter more than per-shot costs in this new era of drone warfare.