Germany bans Chinese drones from military training
The German defence ministry announced an immediate prohibition on the use of Chinese‑made drones for Bundeswehr training, citing data and IT security risks. The ban applies to all commercially available Chinese drones, which were previously purchased under a 2024 procurement strategy that listed approved systems such as DJI models. Because the military lacks a central inventory of these devices, a blanket ban is being imposed to withdraw them quickly. The ministry plans to replace the drones with German or other European models, and commanders may only acquire commercial drones after a risk assessment confirms no security‑relevant information is at risk.
Key facts
- The ban took effect on 12 Nov, covering all Chinese drones used for target practice and training.
- Similar security‑driven bans have been enacted by the United States and Poland on Chinese vehicles.
- German officials did not disclose the number of Chinese drones currently in service.
- China’s foreign ministry criticised the decision as discriminatory.
- The ministry clarified it does not impose a blanket ban on all foreign‑made vehicles, only those posing data‑security risks.
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Why it matters
The move aims to protect military data and reduce reliance on foreign technology.
What changed
First published from The Straits Times, Daily Maverick, The Guardian, ABC News (US) and Asharq Al-Awsat