The German Armed Forces have banned ‘made in China’ drones

Berlin. No more Chinese-made drones for the German Armed Forces. A blanket ban has been imposed in Bundeswehr barracks and training camps on aircraft such as those manufactured by the Chinese firm DJI. The aim? To prevent potential espionage activities carried out via the drones’ technological components, for example through the transmission of data on military exercises, images of barracks and firing ranges, or even information on German weapon systems. Der Spiegel reports this exclusively: “Chinese models will no longer be used, and existing systems will be replaced with domestic or European products,” a spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defence confirmed to the weekly magazine. The ministry declined to say how many Chinese-made drones are currently in use by the Bundeswehr, but according to sources cited by Der Spiegel, the figure is in the thousands.

In 2023, the Bundeswehr had drawn up a ‘white list’ of drone models suitable for training exercises, which local commanders within the Armed Forces could purchase independently without excessive red tape. In November 2023, Lieutenant General Martin Schelleis, then in command of the Joint Support Services, had banned the use of Chinese drones. However, the investigative media outlet Correctiv reported that, following a recommendation in June 2024 from another general – the then head of the Drone Task Force – eight Chinese models, including the DJI Matrice M30, were authorised and added to the ‘white list’. The decision was reportedly driven by operational necessity: the Bundeswehr was lagging behind in drone technology and wanted to prioritise the rapid development of its capabilities. Drones of this type were used, amongst other things, to train future pilots and as training targets for defence systems, whilst the rules prohibited their use as reconnaissance drones or in tactical exercises. However, these restrictions no longer appear sufficient, and the Bundeswehr has now decided to impose a general ban on ‘Made in China’ drones. Der Spiegel even quotes an insider claiming that MAD, the German military counter-intelligence service, found traces of data leaks whilst examining drones used by the Bundeswehr. The Ministry of Defence has not, however, confirmed this allegation.

Restrictions on Chinese drones have already been introduced in several countries. In Lithuania, a 2022 law prohibits defence and critical infrastructure bodies from purchasing Chinese technology, including drones, and from 2025 the ban will apply to their use in all public institutions. In the Netherlands, according to a 2021 investigation by the daily newspaper Trouw, the Ministry of Defence has reportedly excluded DJI drones from operational use. The US military stopped using DJI drones as early as 2017, citing ‘cyber vulnerabilities’, whilst since 2019 a law passed by Congress has prohibited the Pentagon from using or purchasing drones and components manufactured in China. In 2023, the Australian Defence Force suspended all DJI products, subsequently deciding to permanently dispose of its more than 800 Chinese-made drones. In Japan, since 2021, public procurement of drones has been subject to security regulations that implicitly bar Chinese drones. In 2023, India excluded components from “neighbouring countries” – meaning, primarily, those from China – from tenders for military drones. Last August, it emerged that the cameras on the Royal Navy’s K3 Scout surface drones, which contain Chinese components, were sending automatic heartbeat signals (indicating that the device is switched on) to an IP address in China: the British Ministry of Defence cut the connection and says it found no compromised data.

Restrictive measures have also been adopted by several armed forces regarding ‘made in China’ cars. In October, it emerged that during the Norwegian ‘Hovedstad’ exercise in September, Chinese hire cars had automatically recorded checks at the entrances to military areas. As early as February, Poland had closed its secure military installations to cars manufactured in China. Now, as Der Spiegel reports once again, the Bundeswehr is also said to have imposed bans on Chinese cars. Models from manufacturers such as BYD, Geely and NIO will no longer be allowed access to security zones: soldiers will be forced to park them outside the military perimeter. These are mirror measures: back in 2021, it was the Chinese army that banned Teslas and their cameras from entering military compounds and residences.