Hundreds of Chinese-manufactured drones have been spotted in air space over Washington D.C.
Most of the recreational drones were manufactured by the DJI company which is based in China but the Pentagon has reason to believe these drones are harvesting data for the CCP.
Seven public officials within the Federal government who wished not to disclose their names to Politico commented and stated say “they do not believe the swarms are directed by the Chinese government” but the drones do represent a security risk due to them teetering the line of no-fly zones.
Senators alarmed, FBI Dir concerned by CCP Police Stations in America, Warner admits Trump right about TikTok–China still stealing us blind, $600 billion a year!#TheGreatAmericaShow
Drones over D.C.: Senators alarmed over potential Chinese spy threat https://t.co/VpARYxU67x— Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) November 23, 2022
Politico reported these details:
Hundreds of Chinese-manufactured drones have been detected in restricted airspace over Washington, D.C., in recent months, a trend that national security agencies fear could become a new means for foreign espionage.
The recreational drones made by Chinese company DJI, which are designed with “geofencing” restrictions to keep them out of sensitive locations, are being manipulated by users with simple workarounds to fly over no-go zones around the nation’s capital.
Federal officials and drone industry experts have delivered classified briefings to the Senate Homeland Security, Commerce and Intelligence committees on the development, three people privy to the meetings said. A spokesperson for the Intelligence Committee — which has been kept closely apprised of the counterintelligence risks — declined to comment on the briefings. The other two committees did not respond.
This story is based on interviews with seven government officials, lawmakers, congressional staffers and contractors. They were granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about private and sometimes classified discussions involving government officials.
The officials say they do not believe the swarms are directed by the Chinese government. Yet the violations by users mark a new turn in the proliferation of relatively cheap but increasingly sophisticated drones that can be used for recreation and commerce. They also come as Congress debates extending current federal authorities and adopting new ones to track the aerial vehicles as potential security threats.
“Any technological product with origins in China or Chinese companies holds a real risk and potential of vulnerability that can be exploited both now and in a time of conflict,”- @marcorubio
Deep investigation by colleagues @BryanDBender @AndrewDesiderio https://t.co/ptLdsYXiH3
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) November 23, 2022
Currently, the CCP in China is using drones to disinfect the air to prevent the “spread” of Covid.
Watch:
In #China drones are used to disinfect air. #Futuristic or #dystopian? pic.twitter.com/rycKT3crpD
— Arthur Morgan (@ArthurM40330824) November 21, 2022
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