American drone company challenges Chinese dominance while preparing troops for swarm attacks

Daily News Article   —   Posted on January 30, 2026

(by Arabella Bennett, Fox Business) – In an unassuming town outside Detroit, a small American startup is quietly preparing U.S. troops for the next era of warfare — where battles won’t be fought by soldiers but by swarms of machines.

Swarm Defense originally built its business around large-scale drone light shows but has since pivoted into military applications. Today, the same coordination and precision once used for entertainment are being applied to help replicate one of the most complex threats facing modern soldiers: coordinated drone-swarm attacks.

FOX Business’ Kelly Saberi told “Varney & Co.” that Swarm Defense’s technology allows thousands of drones to be launched simultaneously. The system is designed to approximate what it feels like for soldiers to face a coordinated drone swarm in realistic combat scenarios.

The company’s simulation platform uses custom-built software that lets each drone share data and react in real time, similar to how a flock of birds moves in concert. That kind of coordination is what makes drone swarms difficult to counter — and why realistic training is seen as a critical advantage for U.S. forces confronting increasingly autonomous threats.

Conflicts overseas, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have underscored how quickly drones are being weaponized and how widely inexpensive foreign-made systems are used on battlefields. Saberi noted that many troops abroad have operated drones made by Chinese manufacturers, raising concerns about supply-chain vulnerabilities and national security, and highlighting the need for strict compliance with federal rules such as those in the National Defense Authorization Act that govern the sourcing of U.S. defense technology.

The Department of Defense (Department of War*) and other federal agencies have long moved to restrict purchases of drones with Chinese components over security concerns, including potential data-transfer risks tied to foreign infrastructure. In late 2025, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added Chinese drone makers DJI and Autel, along with foreign-made drones and components, to a list of equipment posing “unacceptable risks” to U.S. national security, effectively barring approval of new models for import or sale without a defense agency determination. This follows broader congressional scrutiny and legislative language in recent defense bills aimed at reducing reliance on foreign suppliers.

Industry experts note that China remains the dominant global drone manufacturer, with far more units produced annually than U.S. companies — a gap that has put firms like Swarm Defense in the spotlight as Washington seeks to rebuild domestic drone capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign technology.

The company’s CEO, Kyle Dorosz, emphasized the urgency of scaling American production.

“We have a tall task ahead of us to… continue supplying drones without the dependency on foreign nations,” he said. “We need to be ready to scale, we need to be ready to react, and we need to be ready to support American drone dominance.”

Beyond manufacturing, the training component remains a major focus. Saberi described the experience as intense and highly coordinated, designed to prepare troops for the sights, sounds and physical stressors of future combat scenarios involving autonomous systems.

As global threats evolve, small factories in places like Auburn Hills are becoming essential to America’s defense strategy — quiet workshops where the next generation of warfare is being shaped, one American-built drone at a time.

(*The Department of War was known as such from 1789-1947.  In 1947/49 it was renamed the Department of Defense. While still legally named as such, in September 2025 President Trump signed an executive order directing the department to use “Department of War.”)

Published at Fox Business on Jan. 10, 2025. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.

Background

Swarm Defense is small Michigan-based startup working with the U.S. military to prepare troops for warfare involving drone swarms.

• The company originally focused on commercial drone light shows, but shifted its focus to military applications to address the growing threat of coordinated, enemy drone-swarm attacks.
• Swarm Defense creates simulations and systems that allow thousands of drones to be launched and operated simultaneously, mimicking realistic, high-stakes combat scenarios for training purposes.
• The technology aims to provide U.S. troops with experience in countering swarm tactics, which are increasingly used in modern conflicts, and to help bolster domestic drone production to reduce reliance on foreign-made systems.
• The company is part of a growing trend of defense technology firms expanding in the Midwest, focused on securing U.S. aerial dominance.

This development aligns with broader, recent U.S. Department of War efforts (such as the "Replicator" initiative) to integrate AI and swarm capabilities into the military. (from Google AI Overview, Jan. 29)