China, Turkey, Israel Getting Ahead in Drone Sales: General Atomics Complains to Elon Musk

China, Turkey, and Israel are surpassing General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) in the global drone market due to U.S. government bureaucracy, GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue wrote in a letter to Elon Musk.

Addressing Musk, who is expected to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Blue urged bold reforms to streamline defense procurement and foreign military sales. He warned that delays have allowed competitors to dominate the UAV market, reducing opportunities for U.S. companies to reinvest in research and development.

Blue criticized outdated policies, including the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which he argued imposes unnecessary restrictions on U.S. UAV exports. He called for a revised MTCR framework that focuses on missile technologies tied to weapons of mass destruction rather than UAVs, enabling U.S. allies to procure drones more efficiently.

General Atomics has long opposed the MTCR, highlighting its stricter controls on UAVs compared to other military aircraft. Although the Biden administration recently relaxed some MTCR rules for space technologies, restrictions on UAV exports remain largely unchanged.

Blue emphasized General Atomics’ contributions to U.S. and allied defense capabilities while noting that bureaucratic inefficiencies have allowed countries like China, Turkey, and Israel to expand their global market share. He pointed to Turkey’s UAV development efforts, which began after its requests for U.S. drones in the early 2000s were denied. Turkey’s investments in domestic production have led to the Bayraktar TB2 and ANKA UAV families, now exported to dozens of countries.

To counter foreign competitors, Blue proposed measures including stricter deadlines for acquisition processes, improved accountability in foreign military sales, and modernized IT systems. He also called for clearer lines of authority and better fund management within the Foreign Military Sales system.

Blue highlighted the need for “courageous leadership” to reform the U.S. defense acquisition system and pledged General Atomics’ support in implementing meaningful changes.