Candid Observations From Expo24
The new guy is much smoother and more energetic than the Big Wynne. AUVSI has another chance to get with the program and advocate instead of obfuscate for its members. I wish the association the best of luck with the new direction.
Revisionist history and misremembering historical details are rampant. I usually avoid the keynotes because it is hard not to yell BS out loud during some presentations. Some have suggested to me in the past that it could be considered rude. I don’t know that misinforming people who paid to get in is friendly, but then again, I’m not known for my decorum.
The panel discussions are even more challenging to stomach as they make me physically sick. How anyone can stand up in front of people and say we need data and ways to collect it at this point takes some big stones. The institutional inanity goes on unchecked and unabated, leaving me wondering where are the Crayolas.
AUVSI is still trying to figure out how to juggle two prom dates with DJI and the DoD. Some of the members are disgruntled about AUVSI’s public anti-DJI stance. Many know what that stark reality means to them: back to the desk and no longer getting to be the incredible hi-tech expert Best Buy drone dude in the office. I am not the only one still surprised about the apathy among the “critical infrastructure” gurus. That can’t even be bothered to sweep the unrefutably data collection problem under the rug. Folks in the community who have had exposure to intelligence-gathering concepts are taken aback by the platitudes and naivety.
-A little bigger than last year but still smaller than before the peak drone era.
The Chinese vendors seemed a little taken aback by the chilly reception and PRC questions. I guess no one mentioned that during the booth sales call. Other Asian countries and manufacturers made a good showing, and that is always nice to see. There is still a lack of carpet in the aisles, and folks are complaining about their feet.
There are few viable C-UAS solutions, and that situation is almost as bad as the NAS integration debacle. Thank God we are out of Afghanistan as the IEDs have evolved into a dynamic drone delivery operation. CONUS, we get a bag of chips; OCONUS, they can drop one in the pickle barrel and save the drone. Those FPV grenadiers have got some crazy skills! Maybe the Russians should implement an occupied territory drone RID scheme? Just throwing it out there as everyone else at the Western CAAs contends it’s 100% viable. ;-)
This is a Foreign Policy Issue; appears to be the new tune everyone whistles past the graveyard. I don’t know about you, Rube, but those Ukrainian YouTube videos are starting to give me some homeland insecurity issues.
Anyone still waiting for the Silicon Valley VCs to best the current C-UAS solution of DJI AeroScope and call the sheriff or a competitive USA drone solution without a billion dollars of investment might want to take it easy with the CBD gummies.
Anyway, I am looking for buyers, as are the foreign military vendors I have spoken to. Expo24 is undoubtedly not a Eurosatory type of show. I haven’t encountered anyone with bulging pockets full of money ready to write checks.
All that aside, I had a good conversation with some of the old guard and a shout-out to all the folks who stopped to say hello and how much they enjoyed the sUAS News and the no-nonsense punditry.
Spoiler alert –
Folks in the know won’t even laugh when I ask, so what do you think about Part 108 this year?
