AXIOS (Zachary Basu) - Cheap drones transform global battlefield
Cheap, mass-produced drones have permanently changed the face of warfare. - Without them, Russia's overwhelming manpower and firepower advantage would grind Ukraine into dust. - Without them, the Houthis are a ragtag militia in Yemen — not a force that brought global shipping to its knees. - Without them, a sanctioned, isolated Iran couldn't inflict nearly as much damage to the most powerful military in world history. Why it matters: Size no longer guarantees victory. Any nation, any proxy, any rebel group with access to cash and commercial components can now bleed a superpower slowly, expensively and without a clean answer. Driving the news: Iran's Shahed drone — said to cost between $20,000 and $50,000 — has been the regime's…