In a letter to the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Energy (DOE), House Committee on Homeland Security Chair Mark Green, MD (R-TN) and Committee on Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) urged the government to declassify information on the national security risks posed by Chinese drones.
“We write to request that you declassify certain information relating to potential national security risks posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or “drones”) that have been produced, manufactured, or assembled in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including those made by Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) or Autel Robotics (Autel),” the lawmakers wrote. “It has come to our attention that there are findings from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) pertaining to national security risks associated with drones that have been produced, manufactured, or assembled in the PRC.”
Both DJI and Autel are headquartered in China. Together, they control nearly 90 percent of the global drone market, including use by state and local law enforcement entities. The legislative pair argued that public interest should outweigh any other reason to keep info related to these supposed threats classified.
In the version of the National Defense Authorization Act voted through by the House earlier this month, DJI drones would be explicitly banned from sale in the United States. Further, in January, both the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a joint advisory warning of the risks posed by Chinese-manufactured drones to both critical infrastructure and national security.
“In light of these significant issues, there is a strong public interest in understanding the threats posed by PRC-manufactured drones,” the lawmakers wrote. “As several federal agencies and departments have taken considerable action based on classified information, it is well past time that Congress, SLTT law enforcement agencies, and the American public receive answers to questions relating to PRC drones that have remained outstanding for several years.”