Winston
Lorenzo von Matterhorn
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Misleading title. Not generic civilian, civilian GOVERNMENT fleet.
US May Ground Civilian Drone Fleet Over China Spy Fears
13 Jan 2020
https://www.zerohedge.com/technolog...rgest-civilian-drone-program-sinophobia-soars
The Department of the Interior is expected to ground nearly 1,000 drones in the near term, two sources told the Times. They said the drones are at high risk of being hacked by the Chinese.
The decision to ground the drones could be expensive – as there would need to be non-Chinese alternatives to fill the void. The Times reviewed internal documents from the agency that shows strong protests against banning of the drones. David Bernhardt, secretary of the Interior, has not signed the order to ban Chinese drones from the agency. Sources said he’s planning to ground the fleet, with several exceptions, including the use for natural disasters and training.
The drones in focus are made by Chinese company DJI, which is the world’s largest civilian drone maker. Congress has been debating a bill for some time that could ban all DJI products from federal agencies.
Western companies have admitted defeat to DJI, as the company controls 70% of the global civilian drone market share. The proposal by U.S. officials to ban DJI from the Interior and other agencies could be a ploy to encourage development among domestic brands.
If the Interior decides to ground DJI drones, it could then trigger a widespread banning across all agencies.
A DJI spokesperson said: “While we have not seen the new policy, we look forward to reviewing the findings of DOI’S comprehensive review of its drone program, given the lack of credible evidence to support a broad country-of-origin restriction on drone technology.”
The Fish and Wildlife Service warned that a ban on DJI products would undermine the agency’s ability to monitor controlled burns and wildfires.
The US military has already banned their use, but there are articles about units still using them:
US Military Still Buying Chinese-Made Drones Despite Spying Concerns
September 17, 2019
https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-military-still-buying-chinese-made-drones-despite-spying-concerns
PENTAGON - The Air Force and the Navy bought Chinese-manufactured drones for elite forces months after the Pentagon prohibited their use due to cybersecurity concerns, according to government documents.
In each case, the services used special exemptions granted by the Pentagon's acquisition and sustainment office "on a case by case basis, to support urgent needs," Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Andrews told VOA.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan listens,May 1, 2019, during a House Appropriations subcommittee on budget hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.
The Department of Defense issued a ban on the purchase and use of all commercial off-the-shelf drones, citing "cybersecurity vulnerabilities," in a memo from then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan dated May 23, 2018.
The ban came nearly a year after the U.S. Army, the Department of Homeland Security and members of Congress warned that drone-market-leader Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) could be helping the Chinese government spy on the United States.
US May Ground Civilian Drone Fleet Over China Spy Fears
13 Jan 2020
https://www.zerohedge.com/technolog...rgest-civilian-drone-program-sinophobia-soars
The Department of the Interior is expected to ground nearly 1,000 drones in the near term, two sources told the Times. They said the drones are at high risk of being hacked by the Chinese.
The decision to ground the drones could be expensive – as there would need to be non-Chinese alternatives to fill the void. The Times reviewed internal documents from the agency that shows strong protests against banning of the drones. David Bernhardt, secretary of the Interior, has not signed the order to ban Chinese drones from the agency. Sources said he’s planning to ground the fleet, with several exceptions, including the use for natural disasters and training.
The drones in focus are made by Chinese company DJI, which is the world’s largest civilian drone maker. Congress has been debating a bill for some time that could ban all DJI products from federal agencies.
Western companies have admitted defeat to DJI, as the company controls 70% of the global civilian drone market share. The proposal by U.S. officials to ban DJI from the Interior and other agencies could be a ploy to encourage development among domestic brands.
If the Interior decides to ground DJI drones, it could then trigger a widespread banning across all agencies.
A DJI spokesperson said: “While we have not seen the new policy, we look forward to reviewing the findings of DOI’S comprehensive review of its drone program, given the lack of credible evidence to support a broad country-of-origin restriction on drone technology.”
The Fish and Wildlife Service warned that a ban on DJI products would undermine the agency’s ability to monitor controlled burns and wildfires.
The US military has already banned their use, but there are articles about units still using them:
US Military Still Buying Chinese-Made Drones Despite Spying Concerns
September 17, 2019
https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-military-still-buying-chinese-made-drones-despite-spying-concerns
PENTAGON - The Air Force and the Navy bought Chinese-manufactured drones for elite forces months after the Pentagon prohibited their use due to cybersecurity concerns, according to government documents.
In each case, the services used special exemptions granted by the Pentagon's acquisition and sustainment office "on a case by case basis, to support urgent needs," Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Mike Andrews told VOA.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan listens,May 1, 2019, during a House Appropriations subcommittee on budget hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.
The Department of Defense issued a ban on the purchase and use of all commercial off-the-shelf drones, citing "cybersecurity vulnerabilities," in a memo from then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan dated May 23, 2018.
The ban came nearly a year after the U.S. Army, the Department of Homeland Security and members of Congress warned that drone-market-leader Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) could be helping the Chinese government spy on the United States.
