Nine drone startups, including Eric Schmidt-founded Perennial, will split US DoD orders for 60,000 drones in a competition that requires no China-made parts (Steve LeVine/The Information)

Nine drone startups, led by Eric Schmidt-founded Perennial, will divide U.S. DoD orders for 60,000 drones in a competition that prohibits China-made components. The Pentagon expressed frustration after most competing startups failed to meet the no-China-parts requirement. The deal aims to secure domestic drone production for military use.