US drone maker Skydio faces battery squeeze after Chinese sanctions

America’s supply chain vulnerabilities were on full display Thursday after drone manufacturer Skydio told customers it was facing a battery squeeze after being hit with sanctions from China. “This is an attempt to eliminate the leading American drone company and deepen the world’s dependence on Chinese drone suppliers,” Skydio CEO Adam Bry said in a letter to customers first reported by the Financial Times. The company, which provides drones to Ukraine’s military and Taiwan's National Fire Agency, manufacturers its products in the United States but still relies on a global supply chain for many of its components; one of the most critical components, batteries, are still sourced in China.