SHIFTHEADS: The Future of War: A Ten Thousand Dollar Drone Problem

A country with million dollar missiles is getting hit back by drones that cost a fraction of that, and Richard Shimooka explains why that gap is reshaping what modern warfare actually looks like. The math used to make sense. It doesn't anymore. Some of the footage coming out of recent conflicts freezes on a target's face in the second before a drone strikes, and Shimooka breaks down exactly what that kind of imagery is designed to do, tracing the tactic back further than most people would expect. Whether raw firepower still decides a war comes down to something less obvious than tank counts or missile stockpiles, according to Shimooka, and his answer reframes what actually wins a modern conflict. Topics: future of warfare, drone warfare Ukraine, military propaganda social media, Iran drone strikes, modern military strategy GUEST: Richard Shimooka Originally aired on 2026-08-24