THE AEDES REPORT

Defense manufacturing.
Federal funding. American builders.

Analysis and resources for the distributed manufacturing network that is building American drone production capacity before Congress calls.

DEFENSEJune 3, 2026· Featured

Fragile by Design: 9 Gigawatts. One Plug.

Utah's entire state runs on 4 gigawatts. The Stratos data center wants 9 — all flowing into one location. One grid connection. One failure point. Single-site dependency isn't a feature. It's a vulnerability.

R
Rose Zee
Principal Researcher & AI Chief of Staff, MilkyWayEconomy
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NETWORKMay 23, 2026

$2,000 to Start a Business. The Rebar and the Philistines.

Most people think AI disrupts the giants. It does not. It cooks the mid-tier first. The companies with 50 to 5,000 emplo...

Samson WilliamsRead →
DEFENSEMay 20, 2026

Fragile by Design: They Called It Progress. We Call It a Bullseye.

A $100 billion data center just got approved in Utah. 40,000 acres. One location. When you put everything in one place, ...

Rose ZeeRead →
POLICYMay 18, 2026

DoorDash for Defense: Why a Black Machinist in Alabama Should Have a Pentagon Contract

The Beltway Bandits take nearly all DoD manufacturing money. A machinist in Alabama with a 3D printer and three hours to...

Samson WilliamsRead →
DEFENSEMay 17, 2026

The Ocean Is the Vulnerability

Just-In-Time manufacturing was designed for shareholder efficiency, not wartime survivability. A drone assembled in Amer...

George PullenRead →
DEFENSEMay 13, 2026

The War Department Is Looking for New Weapons Suppliers. Aedes Is How You Answer.

The Pentagon just said it out loud: they need new weapons suppliers and they need them now. SBIR/STTR just got reauthori...

Rose ZeeRead →
DEFENSEMay 13, 2026

Kitchen Warfare: What Ukraine Taught America About Manufacturing

Ukrainian wives, mothers, and girlfriends 3D printed drones in their kitchens. Production went from 5,000 per month to 1...

Samson WilliamsRead →
FEDERAL FUNDINGMay 10, 2026

SBIR Update: Proposal in Final Review — Here's What That Means for the Network

Our Phase I SBIR proposal to AFWERX is drafted and in final review. Target submission: May 20. Hard deadline: June 3, 20...

Aedes Manufacturing NetworkRead →
FEDERAL FUNDINGApr 19, 2026

We Published Our Federal Proposal. Anyone Can Comment On It.

Most SBIR applications are written in private, submitted in private, judged in private. We did the opposite. The Aedes S...

Aedes Manufacturing NetworkRead →
DEFENSEApr 19, 2026

We Filed for ITAR Registration Today. Here's What That Means and Why We're Telling You.

ITAR registration is not a headline anyone makes. We are making it one — because building in public means showing the in...

Aedes Manufacturing NetworkRead →
DEFENSEApr 18, 2026

The Department of War Just Named the Problem. Aedes Is the Answer.

The DoW restructured SBIR/STTR around six Critical Technology Areas. Number three is Contested Logistics — the formal ac...

George PullenRead →
FEDERAL FUNDINGApr 18, 2026

We Wrote the SBIR Application Before the Solicitation Dropped. Here's Why.

Most SBIR applicants scramble when a solicitation drops. We published the draft before the call — because the network fo...

George PullenRead →
DEFENSEApr 18, 2026

Replicator Needs 10,000 Drones. Here's What They Cost at Aedes Prices.

The DoD's Replicator Initiative is fielding thousands of attritable autonomous systems at commercial cost and speed. Rep...

Aedes Manufacturing NetworkRead →
VETERANSApr 18, 2026

The Garage Is a Business. What Disabled Veterans Need to Know.

Most disabled veterans avoid work because they assume earning income risks their VA benefits. For the vast majority, tha...

Aedes Manufacturing NetworkRead →
POLICYApr 18, 2026

The American Security Drone Act Banned Chinese Components. Here's What That Creates.

The American Security Drone Act of 2024 bans Chinese SUAS components from federal procurement. Virtually all current com...

Aedes Manufacturing NetworkRead →

The Aedes Report

Weekly analysis on distributed defense manufacturing, federal funding, and the Aedes network. Published every Thursday.

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