The U.S. Interior Department has grounded a fleet of Chinese-made drones amid concerns that the unmanned aerial vehicles might be compromised by Chinese spies.
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt grounded the roughly 800 Chinese-made drones pending a security review. The review follows a multiagency warning about the danger of purchasing sensitive technology from Chinese companies. American officials worry that the companies are beholden to the communist government’s intelligence agencies at a time when President Trump and lawmakers in both parties agree that Beijing has launched a major strategic competition with the United States.
“We should not, under any circumstances, put American national security at risk by using taxpayer dollars to purchase Chinese tech,” Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a Republican who has been lobbying the Interior Department to ground the fleet, said Thursday. Scott has authored a bill banning their use across the federal government. “We need to completely reassess our posture towards Communist China, and passing my bill is a good start.”
The Interior Department conducts thousands of drone flights every year for a variety of reasons, including the inspection of critical infrastructure. The unmanned aerial vehicles cost less than helicopters, but American policymakers worry that the savings come at the price of espionage because they are made by a Chinese company.
The decision echoes the debate over prospective partnerships with telecommunications companies such as Huawei, a pioneering Chinese telecommunication company, to build the next generation of wireless technology infrastructure. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other U.S. officials have warned that Chinese law requires companies to provide data to the government.
“Our taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be used to support Chinese-developed technologies that undercut American companies and put our national security at risk,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat who co-sponsored Scott’s proposed ban on Chinese drones. “I’m glad to see the Interior Department follow the Pentagon’s lead. Congress will continue pressing ahead to prohibit our government from purchasing drones manufactured in China.”
The fleet-grounding has angered Beijing, which protested the move. “We urge the US to stop abusing the concept of national security, stop spreading the ‘China threat’ narrative and stop wantonly oppressing Chinese enterprises,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Friday.
The drones nevertheless will remain earthbound for the time being.
“Until this review is completed, the secretary has directed that drones manufactured in China or made from Chinese components be grounded unless they are currently being utilized for emergency purposes, such as fighting wildfires, search and rescue, and dealing with natural disasters that may threaten life or property,” Interior Department spokesman Nick Goodwin said.
“Our taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be used to support Chinese-developed technologies that undercut American companies and put our national security at risk,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat who co-sponsored Scott’s proposed ban on Chinese drones. “I’m glad to see the Interior Department follow the Pentagon’s lead. Congress will continue pressing ahead to prohibit our government from purchasing drones manufactured in China.”
