Quote of the day by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt: 'A $5,000 drone can destroy a $5 million tank' pithy insights about the future of warfare

Date:
Tue, 07 Jul 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Description:
Armed conflict in the 21st century is looking considerably different from the wars of yesteryear, thanks to huge technological advancements

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Eric Schmidt has enjoyed a long career in the technology industry, including a decade at the helm of Google . Since then, he's been heavily involved in the realm of defense and has had a thing or two to say about the new reality of conflicts around the globe. "The world has an awful lot of tanks. Those tanks are largely useless now. A
$5,000 drone can destroy a $5 million tank. I read somewhere that the US had thousands and thousands of tanks stored somewhere. Give them away. Buy a
drone instead. In fact, buy 10, buy 20, buy 50, buy 100." Eric Schmidt, October 2024 Modern warfare Schmidt was speaking at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Saudi Arabia about the rise of drone-based warfare, contrasting this with the historic prevalence of tanks and armored vehicles. Quote of the day This article is part of TechRadar Pro's QOTD project to provide an insight into the minds of the brightest and most recognized
figures in the technology industry today and in years gone by. Read the full series here . The cost-to-damage ratio is incredibly favorable, as he urged the US and Western allies to transition away from legacy tech in favor of drones and other related technologies at the heart of a new kind of warfare. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

His expertise in this realm comes primarily from his role advising the US government and military on technology, with the former Google CEO chairing
the Defense Innovation Board from March 2016. This organization primarily connects the tech sector with the Pentagon.

Between 2019 and 2021, Schmidt also co-chaired the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, which had a mission to make recommendations to the US president and Congress on the role of AI in the future of defense. You may like Ex-Google CEO is key to Ukraine's most formidable drone weapon to date - $5000 Hornet can carry 5Kg of explosives on a 200Km, one-way trip War, drones, and the energy reckoning: How the Iran war is reshaping tech investment Quote of the day by Anduril CEO Palmer Luckey: 'There's no moral high ground in using inferior technology' challenging the dominant narrative over AI use in defense Look to the skies Schmidt's
comments came two-and-a-half years following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, a war that's been defined by next-generation technologies including robotics and drones.

Ukraine has, for example, used AI drones to strike vital Russian supply
lines, while in recent weeks, news emerged that Russia has also stepped up
use of jet-powered drones that can hit speeds of up to 500 km/h against its adversary. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the
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Drones are incredibly cheap compared with technologies used in the past and they're also incredibly effective. We also see examples of the way drones
have been used in the conflict between the US-Israeli forces and Iran .



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