We live in a world that is slowly becoming dominated by drones and the technologies that surround them.  Drones are being used in countless professional sectors.  They are also being sold to thousands of individuals for private use.  They make up a huge part of our nation’s military operations as well.  The US military uses drones for combat missions, reconnaissance, research, and rescue missions, along with police and fire operations.  Over the last few months there have been discussions as to whether or not America can trust drones manufactured by foreign entities for military use.  This week it was released that congress is in fact in the process of passing a law that would put limitations on foreign built drones.

The primary question is if drones being built outside of the United States are also being used to transmit classified information back to the manufacturer.  This comes as a big blow to the world’s largest drone manufacturer, DJI.  The Chinese based company has become famous for their superior drones at a wide range of prices.  Their Phantom and Mavic Pro are two of the most popular drones available.  The majority of drones sold to consumers in the United States are DJI drones. 

Concerns were raised if the Chinese built drones sold in the United States were being used to wirelessly transmit data back to China, unbeknownst to the drone operator.  While DJI firmly states that a scenario such as that is preposterous, it certainly made the government take notice for when it comes to drones used for official government positions.  In response to this, Cape, a US based company that supplies drone technologies for many police and fire organizations throughout the US, announced that they will no longer sell any software compatible with Chinese built drones.  To which DJI’s Michael Oldenburg responded, “We are disappointed to learn about Cape’s decision, which is based on false speculation, and remain committed to continuously working with all of our customers — including more than 520 public safety agencies who trust our products to conduct critical missions.”

As far as official laws being passed in relation to this issue the Act being written states, “the Secretary of Defense may not operate or enter into or renew a contract for the procurement of a UAS that:       
A) is manufactured in a covered foreign country or by an entity domiciled in a covered foreign country;       
B) uses flight controllers, radios, data transmission devices, cameras, or gimbals manufactured in a covered foreign country or by an entity domiciled in a covered foreign country;       
C) uses a ground control system or operating software developed in a covered foreign country or by an entity domiciled in a covered foreign country; or       
D) uses network connectivity or data storage located in or administered by an entity domiciled in a covered foreign country; or       
E) a system manufactured in a covered foreign country or by an entity domiciled in a covered foreign country for the detection or identification of covered unmanned aircraft systems.

This new shift just goes to strengthen the growing discontent between Chinese and American relationships.  In an attempt to ease tensions DJI has announced that it will start building government issued drones built within the United States.  Likewise, another Chinese drone manufacturer Yuneec, has partnered with a US based company DroneCode that will combine the Chinese hardware with US software.  The hope is that these steps will alleviate any security concerns the US government has towards the Chinese drone companies who rely heavily on their US customers.

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