Senators Urged to Adopt Anti-China Drone Measure

Florida Senator Rick Scott proposes an amendment to the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act that would effectively ban new sales of drones made in China.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at 01:56 PM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

DJI’s Mavic 3 drone is one of the most popular models among U.S. hobbyists. [Courtesy: DJI]

Key Takeaways:

U.S. lawmakers are pushing to ban new Chinese-manufactured drones, such as those from DJI and Autel, citing national security concerns and unsubstantiated spying allegations.
The "Countering CCP Drones Act," which would implement this ban, was included in the House's FY25 NDAA but initially dropped from the Senate's version due to widespread opposition from U.S. public safety agencies.
Despite its initial exclusion, the Act has been reintroduced as a Senate amendment, keeping its potential inclusion in the FY25 NDAA alive for committee discussion or reconciliation.
U.S. public safety and law enforcement agencies widely rely on these Chinese drones for their affordability and effectiveness, actively opposing the proposed restrictions.

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American lawmakers have not tried to hide their contempt for drones manufactured in China. Some have even gone so far as to call them “TikTok with wings” in reference to allegations of spying by the Chinese social media app.

Conspicuously missing from the Senate’s fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (FY25 NDAA), though, is an amendment that would effectively ban new Chinese drone models from flying in U.S. skies.