A bipartisan group of lawmakers is introducing legislation that would prohibit the federal government from buying drones that are manufactured in China.
The American Security Drone Act, co-sponsored by Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), would prohibit the government from purchasing drones made in nations deemed to be national security threats.
“The American Security Drone Act takes important action to reduce the United States government’s reliance on foreign-manufactured drone technology,” Mr. Courtney said in a prepared statement.
“While there’s a clear need for unmanned surveillance capabilities, we cannot subvert our national security imperatives for the sake of expediency, particularly when American manufacturers have the ability to fill this need.”
The bill would bar the government or private entities using government funding from purchasing drones made by companies that are “subject to influence or owned or controlled” by China or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which rules China as a single-party state.
Banning Chinese Drones a Vital US Security Interest
Mr. Gallagher said the increasing U.S. reliance on drones manufactured in China was already having profound effects on the international security space, propping up CCP-linked companies that enable aggression against U.S. allies and partners.
“The Chinese Communist Party consistently weaponizes its near monopoly on the drone market against the good guys; restricting drone exports to Ukraine while Hamas uses them to perpetrate brutal terrorist attacks,” Mr. Gallagher said in a prepared statement.
“This bill would prohibit the federal government from using American taxpayer dollars to purchase this equipment from countries like China, supporting ... malign behavior and posing a serious national security threat to the U.S. and our allies.”
If passed, the bill would immediately prohibit any government purchase card form from being used to obtain such drones and would mandate the creation of a report on U.S. drone supply chains within one year and a total ban within two years.
There are some exceptions afforded to the proposed ban, including the use of Chinese-originating drones for fighting wildfires and collecting intelligence.
Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Rob Wittman (R-Va.) joined in introducing the bill, saying continued U.S. reliance on Chinese technologies would undermine the nation in its ongoing competition for global influence.
“If America is to prevail in this era of great power competition, the U.S. government cannot be using drones manufactured by our adversaries,” Mr. Wittman said.
“I am proud to join my colleagues from across the aisle in reintroducing the American Security Drone Act, which will promote American superiority and competitiveness within the drone market, protect against IP theft and data security violations by the Chinese Communist Party, and fortify our national security.”
