Trump has vowed Iran will “pay the price” after it launched multiple strikes on US bases throughout the Middle East.
The latest escalation came up after the US bombed Iran in response to a Shahed drone downing an American Apache helicopter in the Gulf of Oman. The crew were rescued by an unmanned boat - a US first. Venetia Rainey speaks to former US Deputy Secretary of Defence Kathleen Hicks about what this week’s events tell us about the growing role of autonomous systems in the military.
Plus, what is the Pentagon’s plan to combat the drone threat posed by enemies from Iran to China - and is it moving fast enough? Hicks and Aaron Sherman from the Atlantic Council talk about the Replicator project they launched in 2023 in the Department of Defence and why it’s more vital than ever.
Highlights
- Trump vows Iran will ‘pay the price’ for firing at US bases
- From Iran to China: inside the Pentagon's drone revolution
CONTRIBUTORS:
Venetia Rainey, co-host and executive producer @venetiarainey
Kathleen Hicks, former US Deputy Secretary of Defence
Aaron Sherman, non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council
CONTENT REFERENCED:
How a cutting-edge AI drone boat saved defenceless US Apache pilots
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/06/09/apache-pilots-rescued-ai-drone-boat
Move Fast and Scale: A Brief Insiders' History of the Replicator Initiative
https://www.belfercenter.org/research-analysis/move-fast-and-scale-brief-insiders-history-replicator-initiative
Producer: Peter Shevlin
Executive Producers: Venetia Rainey & Louisa Wells
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