German military bans commercially available Chinese drones from barracks, Spiegel reports

Mixed · 2Germany's military has banned commercially available Chinese-made drones from its barracks and training grounds, effective immediately, because of security concerns, Der Spiegel reported on 10 November. 1 2 Mixed · 2According to Anadolu's account of the Spiegel report, an order was issued in recent weeks across the whole Bundeswehr to stop using all such drones from major Chinese manufacturers, including DJI. The drones are being taken out of service as quickly as possible. 2 1 Mixed · 2The Defence Ministry was not available for comment when Reuters first reported the story. Anadolu later said the ministry confirmed the measure: a spokesperson said the Bundeswehr will no longer use Chinese-made models and that existing systems will be replaced by products from Germany or other European countries. 1 2

Right · 1AFP, carried by Arab News, reported on 11 November that the ministry itself said the ban covers use for training and that "Chinese-made models will no longer be used ... and existing systems will be replaced by products from domestic or, where applicable, European sources". The ministry cited data and IT security and the aim of strengthening the Bundeswehr's "self-sufficiency and technological sovereignty", and said the drones were cheap off-the-shelf models bought "with minimal bureaucratic effort". 3 Mixed · 2The drones were bought by military units in recent years with limited bureaucratic oversight. Local commanders could buy them under a 2024 drone strategy that included a "white list" of approved systems, several of them from DJI, the world's largest drone maker. 1 2 Mixed · 2Because there is no central record of which units bought which drones, the military has had to impose a blanket ban. The ministry declined to say how many were purchased, citing military security; insiders quoted by Anadolu estimate several thousand, including DJI Matrice M30T models. 1 2

Mixed · 2The concern is that the drones could transmit sensitive data to Chinese intelligence services, such as details of exercises, imagery of barracks and training grounds, or information on German weapons systems. Western military forces have grown increasingly worried that Chinese-made technology could send sensitive information to Beijing. 2 1 Centre · 1Anadolu reports that the ministry had earlier defended the drones, saying they were used under strict protocols and only where no security-sensitive information was involved, for example in introductory pilot courses or as practice targets for counter-drone systems. Insiders had warned of a risk since the white list was drawn up. 2 Centre · 1It is not known whether Chinese drones have actually been used to gather sensitive data. One insider told Spiegel there are concrete indications of espionage, and said the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) reportedly found forensic evidence of data "exfiltration" on examined drones. This is a single-source claim in the coverage. 2

Centre · 1Anadolu also reports, citing Spiegel, that the Bundeswehr has restricted Chinese-made vehicles: lists circulating in the ranks name BYD, Geely and NIO models no longer allowed into secure zones, and soldiers who own them must park outside and walk in. It adds that Norway's armed forces found during the September "Hovedstad" exercise that Chinese-made rental cars had recorded security checks at a camp entrance. 2 Right · 1Reuters noted other recent bans: the US prohibited BYD vehicles on its air base on Okinawa in October, and Poland banned Chinese-made vehicles from military facilities in February. 1 Left · 1The Guardian adds wider context: US Air Force spokesperson Lt Col Alli Stormer called BYD vehicles at Kadena an "unacceptable and unmitigable risk", though US officials have not identified a specific threat. The Dutch intelligence service warned in September about smart-car features being used to spy, and 14 MEPs, led by France's François Kalfon, last week asked the EU cybersecurity agency to assess BYD as a possible high-risk supplier. BYD said data cannot be remotely accessed from China and that it does not share such data with entities in China. 4