Most drones rely on GPS and powerful computers to find their way around. That makes them heavy, expensive, and power-hungry, basically not practical for anything small. But honeybees? They navigate ...

Many proponents of American manufacturing talk about making cars domestically and helping the U.S. auto industry soar. In the case of Detroit-based drone startup Birdstop, that is literally the plan.

Experts say the Drone Dominance competition reflects a broader shift in how the Pentagon acquires military technology and cultivates defense startups.