Name: WSJ News Exclusive | Air Force Purchase of Chinese Drones Spurs Security Concerns
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WSJ News Exclusive | Air Force Purchase of Chinese Drones Spurs Security Concerns

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Skip to Main ContentSkip to Searchhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/air-force-purchase-of-chinese-drones-spurs-security-concerns-11604322017ByandThe U.S. Air Force recently bought dozens of Chinese-made drones to use for testing and training, according to officials and records of the purchase, fueling concerns about continued Defense Department use of technology that lawmakers consider a threat to national security.The Air Force Special Operations Command, the service’s highly trained commando division, bought 57 drones in September from Da-Jiang Innovations, or DJI, the world’s largest maker of unmanned aerial systems, based in Shenzhen, China. They will be used to train airmen on how they could be used against the U.S. or its allies and how to defeat them, officials said.Air Force officials said the drones are cost-effective and useful, and a DJI spokesman said they don’t pose a risk of data loss or theft.But critics have said the drones could be used to gather information about the U.S. military and critical infrastructure, or in other instances of espionage and data collection, sending the information back to China.“Why would we allow the U.S. government to purchase drones from China?” Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) said. “Doing so allows Beijing to gather sensitive data from us and rewards an adversary at the expense of our own American manufacturers.”Legislation included last year in a defense-policy bill Chinese drones. However, the bill provided the Pentagon with an exemption to use such aircraft for training and intelligence purposes in the U.S. and overseas.The Air Force operates U.S. unmanned fleets world-wide and trains pilots to control drones used for surveillance and combat purposes. Some of those drones consist of small aircraft such as Reapers or Global Hawks—which can range in weight up to several tons—compared with the hand-held DJI Mavic 2 drones.The Special Operations Command has for years purchased and used a range of Chinese-manufactured, off-the-shelf drones, including those made by DJI as well as drones produced in European countries, a military official said.An internal Special Operations Command memo in June approved the use of DJI drones for training, analysis and other operations but didn’t spell out the kinds of operations that could be conducted, which lawmakers said appeared to be at odds with last year’s law.Other Mavic 2 drones have been used overseas in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations, but that is “the exception rather than the rule,” the military official said.Lawmakers said they are concerned about the use of the drones for purposes that might run counter to the legislation passed and signed into law.“It’s very concerning that the Air Force would choose to make this purchase, which seems to be in conflict with the spirit of these provisions,” said Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.). Messrs. Murphy and Scott sponsored the drone legislation included in last year’s spending bill.A Senate aide expressed concern that any information collected by the drones could be transmitted to Beijing, exposing vulnerabilities of the U.S. or its allies.Navy Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, a special operations command spokesman, said that the military employs cybersecurity software and strict guidelines when using such drones.“We ensure the commercial, off-the-shelf unmanned aerial systems our special operations forces use do not compromise national security,” he said.The military official said that the Air Force can cover a drone’s cameras for certain operations and that the military doesn’t use these drones in instances where they could capture imagery that may undermine the U.S. or its allies. They may not be connected to any military computer network or used near “sensitive sites,” the military official said.A DJI spokesman said the drones are designed to safeguard information.“Our drone technology is safe and secure for customers who have sensitive data,” said Adam Lisberg, the DJI spokesman. “DJI drones include validated data protections to make sure your data stays only with you.”In October, DJI distributed a memo to lawmakers that stated that “national security is being used as a pretext for economic protectionism,” and characterized the ban as a way to “give the American industry a leg up.”There are no known cases of data collected on a DJI drone being dispatched to China, Mr. Lisberg said.“There is no receiver that sends your stuff to Beijing,” said George Howell, an analyst at Rain Research, which studies the defense industry. “But you don’t want to get in the habit of buying these for the military. To be up in arms about something like this is a good message to send.”The dispute over the purchase is the latest row in a conflict between lawmakers and the Pentagon, which relies on DJI’s affordable drones. The Mavic 2 Pro sells on Amazon for less than $1,600.The government has long been concerned about them. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security drafted a bulletin stating that DJI drones may be collecting U.S. government data.At the time, more than a dozen federal agencies used DJI drones, including the Interior Department, which possessed hundreds of models for use in firefighting, surveying, and search-and-rescue operations.Concerned about a 2016 Chinese cybersecurity law requiring Chinese companies to surrender data upon demand, the Interior Department and other agencies last year , and the Pentagon effectively banned the purchase of the drones, but for the exemption.The Pentagon assigned its Defense Innovation Unit, which works with private-sector tech companies, to develop and identify viable alternatives. In August, the DIU for federal procurements. The Air Force nonetheless bought drones from DJI.The procurement form that the Air Force submitted for the 57-drone purchase stated that the Mavic 2 is more cost-effective than any other viable device.“This is a reflection of how difficult it is to on-ramp new and innovative American technology,” said Mr. Howell, the defense industry analyst. “We can’t get into the habit of buying DJI drones, because we need to grow our own industry.”Write to Brett Forrest at and Gordon Lubold atCopyright ©2020 Dow Jones &amp; Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8Appeared in the November 3, 2020, print edition as 'Chinese Drone Purchase Stirs Security Worry.'Sponsored OffersCopyright © 2020 Dow Jones &amp; Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Skip to Main ContentSkip to Searchhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/air-force-purchase-of-chinese-drones-spurs-security-concerns-11604322017ByandThe U.S. Air Force recently bought dozens of Chinese-made drones to use for testing and training, according to officials and records of the purchase, fueling concerns about continued Defense Department use of technology that lawmakers consider a threat to national security.The Air Force Special Operations Command, the service’s highly trained commando division, bought 57 drones in September from Da-Jiang Innovations, or DJI, the world’s largest maker of...

WSJ News Exclusive | Air Force Purchase of Chinese Drones Spurs Security Concerns

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