Germany has banned Chinese drones and vehicles on military bases
Kyiv • UNN
German counterintelligence has identified the risk of data transmission by Chinese drones and vehicles. The equipment will be replaced with national or European alternatives.
The German military has banned the use of Chinese drones that were used for training purposes and has also restricted the use of certain vehicles at military bases. The decision was made after a counterintelligence assessment found that the devices could potentially collect and transmit data. Bloomberg reported this, citing sources familiar with the situation, writes UNN.
Details
According to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the assessment’s findings were not made public, security services concluded that the risk of espionage through signals that could be intercepted by drones and vehicles was too high. An investigation by Germany’s Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) found that the data could have been transmitted to Chinese intelligence services.
Although the German authorities have responded more decisively to the resurgence of Russian espionage and sabotage, the country’s domestic intelligence service has repeatedly warned about Beijing’s attempts to conduct espionage operations targeting the government, military and businesses. Cyberattacks are one of the key tools of Chinese intelligence agencies, according to a report by Germany’s counterintelligence service on threats for 2025.
Espionage operations also came under scrutiny following the story involving Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang and an alleged Chinese spy. According to government officials, the case demonstrates how actively Beijing and other intelligence services are seeking an advantage in the struggle for leadership in artificial intelligence.
The recent ban in Germany applies to all drones and vehicles made by Chinese manufacturers that are equipped with certain high-tech cameras and sensors, the people said.
The Defense Ministry confirmed that the military will gradually stop using commercially available Chinese-made drones that were used for training purposes, including target-shooting exercises. The use of any commercially available off-the-shelf drones in the future will require a risk assessment.
At the same time, the ministry emphasized that there is no blanket ban on products from a particular country or on a specific manufacturer. This is stated in the ministry’s response to a corresponding request.
The ministry also confirmed restrictions on certain vehicles. They apply to vehicles equipped with advanced sensors, including cameras, radar and microphones, which may pose a security threat. At the same time, there is no blanket ban based on country of origin or manufacturer.
The ministry added that service members are not prohibited from owning or driving vehicles from certain countries.
Germany’s Defense Ministry said that existing drone systems would be replaced with national, and where possible European, alternatives as quickly as possible. In addition, the ministry is developing rules on the use of vehicles that could pose a potential security threat.