In the newest round of the US government vs DJI spat, senators are asking that the Department of Defense investigate its involvement in enabling American companies to export vital components to DJI. Ceva, located in Maryland, is at the center of the debate since its technology powers several of the most popular drones, including the Mavic 3, Mini 3 Pro, Air 2S, and DJI FPV aircraft.
A group of 15 Republican legislators asked the Biden administration in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to prohibit export permits for US components to the Chinese corporate behemoth because “American technology should not be advancing DJI’s drones.”
According to the letter, there are multiple “credible industry reports” that show US components being found within the drones, implying that the US government is giving export permits for the same. Ceva, for example, publicly advertises that its AI vision technology powers DJI drones. The issue, according to senators, is that the drones company endanger US national security.
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“From facilitating terrorist attacks in the Middle East to intelligence threats to the American homeland, drones made by the Chinese-owned company DJI pose an unacceptable risk to our national security,” said House Select Committee on China Chairman Mike Gallagher. “Despite these clear threats, which landed DJI drones on multiple government blacklists, DJI has leveraged bureaucratic get-out-of-jail-free cards to rip off American technology while undermining our national security. This needs to stop.”
DJI, meanwhile, claims that the letter “traffics in distortions and misrepresentations of fact.”
“We strongly deny any allegations against DJI regarding human rights,” the business tells Reuters. Our drones have shown to be among the most inventive, cost-effective, and user-friendly – while also setting the standard for data security.”
It’s worth noting that the American Security Drone Act of 2023, which is presently awaiting President Joe Biden’s signature as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), forbids federal agencies from employing Chinese-made or assembled drones.
