Drones have emerged as a dominant weapon system and force enabler on the modern battlefield. From reconnaissance to resupply to precision strike, drones have fundamentally reshaped how wars are fought. One of the most pressing challenges they pose is a persistent cost asymmetry: defending against low-cost unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is often far more expensive than deploying them. Despite advances in counter-drone technologies, kinetic munitions remain the most reliable means of neutralization. However, the cost of these defenses frequently exceeds the value of the drones they destroy. This paper examines the economic dynamics of contemporary drone warfare and proposes the Resilient Adaptive Multi-layered Protective Air Response Technology (RAMPART) framework, a decision-support model designed to optimize cost-effective counter-UAS strategies. Building on principles of layered air defense and informed by analysis of recent conflicts, the framework introduces the adjusted defense cost fraction (aDCF), a formal metric that integrates defender costs, adversary costs, and the value of protected assets to guide engagement decisions. The model enables a least-cost-first approach, dynamically prioritizing electronic warfare, directed energy, interceptor drones, and kinetic systems based on operational conditions. By formalizing the economic logic of counter-drone engagements, RAMPART provides a scalable analytical tool for improving resource allocation, enhancing operational sustainability, and informing both tactical decision-making and future force design in increasingly contested environments.
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doi.org/10.55682/cdr/g7nt-pfww
The Cyber Defense Review
Volume 11, Issue 1