Low-cost interceptor drones are poised to see massive demand across U.S.-aligned Gulf states as the conflict with Iran grinds deeper into its second week, exposing the absurdity of expending multi-million-dollar interceptor missiles to eliminate IRGC drones that cost roughly $20,000 to $30,000 each.

One day after The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia is in talks with Ukrainian counter-drone firms to acquire low-cost interceptor drones, the outlet provided additional color on Thursday on the companies involved and how the interceptors would be fielded.

Apparently, oil giant Saudi Aramco is in talks with Ukrainian drone companies SkyFall and Wild Hornets to acquire interceptor drones to defend its oil fields against IRGC drone attacks.

The move to acquire interceptor drones comes after IRGC drone strikes on the Berri oilfield, and amid a broader wave of IRGC attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure that has severely disrupted production.

The CEO of a major Saudi oil exporter said earlier this week that the conflict in Iran could have “catastrophic consequences” for crude markets.

By Thursday, the International Energy Agency warned that the conflict in the Middle East had sparked the biggest oil supply disruption in history. It said global supply will plunge by 8 million barrels per day in March.

The importance of interceptor drones and other counter-drone technologies for protecting high-value assets was recognized during this conflict, as civilian infrastructure, such as data centers and skyscrapers, also became targets.

We first told readers, weeks before the conflict began, about the urgent need for kinetic interceptors to guard data centers.

Drone threats in the US will also begin to push urgency among the government and corporate America to field counter-drone technologies.