Bundeswehr bans Chinese drones from barracks - cars from China should also stay out

The Bundeswehr has banned commercially available drones from Chinese manufacturers such as DJI from its barracks and training areas. In the past few weeks, the entire force was ordered to no longer use equipment that had already been purchased, “Spiegel” reported on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense confirmed the measure. In the future, “Chinese models will no longer be used and existing systems will be replaced by national or European products,” he told the magazine.

The background is the concern that the drones could pass on data about exercises, images of barracks and training areas or even information about German weapon systems to Chinese secret services. According to the report, the devices are currently being taken out of service as quickly as possible.

The ministry did not say how many Chinese drones the Bundeswehr has purchased for training since 2024, as these details are subject to “military security”. However, the spokesman confirmed that local commanders were able to procure “market-available and commercially available systems with little bureaucratic effort.”

The basis was a “white list” of suitable models that the Bundeswehr created in 2024 as part of its drone strategy. There were several DJI models on it that are available in hardware and technology stores. According to the magazine, insiders estimate that several thousand such drones have been purchased nationwide, including the “Matrice M30T” model that local security forces use in China. There was therefore no central overview of which association bought which drone.

The troops used the devices for “taster courses” for future drone pilots or as training targets for defense systems. From the beginning, they were not allowed to fly in exercises as a means of reconnaissance or for tactical use. The ministry initially argued that the Chinese drones would only be used “where no security-relevant information is affected”.

The release was controversial from the start. In 2023, Lieutenant General Martin Schelleis, then inspector of the armed forces base, issued a written order prohibiting the use of Chinese drones because a leak of data worthy of protection to Beijing could not be ruled out. A year later, the “white list” of the then head of the drone task force expressly permitted them for training. The Bundeswehr was behind when it came to drones at the time and wanted to pick up the pace with commercially available devices, according to “Spiegel”.

It is not known whether Chinese drones have already spied on sensitive data. According to an insider who had submitted petitions and complaints against the DJI drones for months, there was said to have been concrete evidence: The Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) had found forensic traces of “extraction” of data when examining Bundeswehr drones. The ministry did not respond specifically to questions about this.

Insiders had already warned when the “white list” was created. According to intelligence information cited by the magazine, all Chinese drone manufacturers are working closely with Chinese authorities. Analysts from Western services also suspect that the drones contain special technology that can be used to pass data and images to the Chinese security apparatus.

Cameras on British naval drones sent signals to China

The fact that Chinese components in military equipment can send data to China was demonstrated in Great Britain: cameras on the Navy's K3 Scout surface drones sent signals to an IP address in China, as the Telegraph reported in August. A component of the cameras came from China. The signals confirmed that the device was connected to the Internet.

The British Ministry of Defense had the cameras' Internet connections cut off. An investigation revealed no evidence that the ministry's data or systems were leaked, a spokesman said. After a complaint from the manufacturer Kraken, the newspaper clarified in September that the vulnerability had been discovered during tests before the drones were used.

Soldiers with BYD, Geely or NIO cars have to park outside

In addition to the drones, according to “Spiegel” information, the Bundeswehr has also largely banned the entry of Chinese cars into barracks and other properties. There are lists circulating in the force with models from manufacturers such as BYD, Geely and NIO that are no longer allowed to enter properties classified as security areas. Soldiers who own such cars must park outside and proceed on foot.

The reason is the fear that sensors and cameras in the vehicles could record sensitive data and pass it on to Chinese security authorities. During the “Hovedstad” homeland security exercise with 5,000 soldiers from September 14th to 18th, the Norwegian armed forces discovered that Chinese-made rental cars had recorded security checks at the entrance to a military camp.

According to a “Spiegel” report from the end of August, German security authorities warn against the use of such cars in safety-critical areas and even against parking them in front of sensitive properties. At that time, the Federal Ministry of the Interior considered “abstract risks of abuse” and announced a national risk analysis. In Poland, vehicles from China are no longer allowed to drive on military grounds.

MEPs demand testing of BYD vehicles

In the European Parliament, 14 MPs asked the EU Commission in written questions on November 4th to have the risk posed by BYD vehicles assessed by the EU Cybersecurity Agency. It should be clarified whether restrictions such as exclusion from public tenders are necessary, as the “Automotive News” portal reported.

The initiative is led by French MP François Kalfon. He referred to China's 2017 intelligence law, which requires companies to cooperate with the state. “The access of connected vehicles from third countries to sensitive European infrastructure therefore represents an unacceptable security risk,” said Kalfon.

BYD rejects the allegations. Neither data processed or stored in the cloud nor in the vehicle can be accessed remotely from China, the company told the Reuters news agency.