The French armed forces are operating more than 3,000 drones made by Chinese manufacturer DJI despite warnings over the security risks associated with Chinese technology, according to Le Figaro.
The issue highlights a wider dilemma facing European militaries. Chinese drones, cameras and other connected devices are often readily available and competitively priced, while European alternatives do not always offer the same combination of cost, availability and performance.
France’s military counter-intelligence service, the DRSD, has warned about potential risks linked to Chinese-made vehicles and other connected devices entering sensitive military sites.
The concerns extend beyond vehicles to smart devices and applications that can collect location data, images, audio or other potentially sensitive information.
According to Intelligence Online, the French military has also struggled to reduce its reliance on DJI drones. Chinese-made systems were still widely used during military exercises this year while domestic alternatives have yet to fully meet the armed forces’ requirements.
Germany ordered 500 DJI drones
France is not alone in facing the problem.
Germany’s Bundeswehr signed a framework agreement in November 2024 covering 500 DJI Matrice M30T drones, despite concerns over the potential handling of data collected by the devices.
The German government has acknowledged that it cannot completely rule out the possibility that information gathered by the drones could become accessible to DJI or the Chinese state.
The Bundeswehr has sought to limit the risks by restricting their use mainly to training and other environments where sensitive military infrastructure or information is unlikely to be exposed.
In Britain, concerns emerged after Chinese components were discovered in cameras used on the Royal Navy’s K3 Scout unmanned surface vessels.
The cameras were found to be sending so-called heartbeat signals to an IP address in China. Such signals are normally used to confirm that a connected device is online and functioning.
The British Ministry of Defence investigated the case and said there was no evidence that sensitive information had been accessed, compromised or transmitted through unauthorised channels.
Rental cars recorded military activity
Norway has faced a similar problem involving Chinese-made vehicles.
During an exercise to secure Oslo Airport in September, soldiers discovered that rented Chinese vehicles had been recording video and navigation data without their knowledge.
The recordings included information about who entered and left the vehicles, routes taken and, in some cases, security codes used to open gates at military facilities.
At least two of the vehicles were made by Chinese manufacturer Deepal.
It is not known whether the information was transmitted outside the vehicles, but the incident has intensified debate over the use of connected civilian technology in military environments.
Poland and Britain have already imposed restrictions on Chinese or Chinese-equipped vehicles at certain military facilities. France has not introduced an equivalent blanket restriction.
The challenge is particularly visible in the drone sector. European armed forces are seeking to expand their use of unmanned systems rapidly, but domestic manufacturers have not yet been able to replace all of the inexpensive and widely available Chinese equipment currently in service.