Business | California drone maker to spend billions of dollars as it expands manufacturing in the state by Itzel Luna AI generated summary, Read the full article for complete information. San Mateo‑based drone maker Skydio announced a $3.5 billion investment to expand U.S. domestic drone manufacturing over the next five years, creating more than 2,000 new jobs—most in California—and supporting thousands of additional positions across its supply chain. The plan follows Beijing’s October blacklist that cut off Skydio’s Chinese battery supply, highlighting U.S. reliance on foreign components for defense tech. By building a new manufacturing facility five times larger than its current Bay Area space and boosting production of critical parts, Skydio aims to break Chinese supply‑chain dependence, strengthen America’s autonomous‑drone market, and cement California’s growing role in aerospace, defense and AI. Read more: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-04-28/california-drone-maker-to-spend-billions-of-dollars-as-it-expands-manufacturing-in-state #Skydio #AdamBry #USmilitary #China