The Gun, the Drone, and the Budget: Inside America’s Weapons Economy

With over 13 million civilian firearms produced in 2022 alone and billions spent on autonomous weapons R&D, the U.S. remains the most heavily armed society on Earth. This article traces the weapons supply chain—from defense contractors in Alabama to consumer handguns made in Georgia—and explores how Pentagon funding shapes tech research. Analysts, defense scholars, and watchdog NGOs weigh in on policy, ethics, and unintended consequences of such a deeply militarized economy.