Daniel Wolfram
Germany is upping its effort in stopping countries from spying on them.
German soldiers can no longer fly commercial Chinese drones over their training grounds or military bases.
The German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that defense leaders ordered an immediate, sweeping withdrawal of the gear over concerns that sensitive flight data could end up in Beijing.
Banned Chinese drones
The purge leaves commanders with a complicated logistical problem. Under a relaxed purchasing policy rolled out in 2024, individual army units were allowed to buy approved commercial systems on their own, including popular models made by Chinese manufacturer DJI.
Because there was no central registry of who bought what, top brass could not simply recall specific serial numbers. A targeted recall was out of the question.
Instead, defense chiefs had to impose a total ban across all branches to ground every commercial drone as quickly as possible.
Locks on the gates
Germany is not alone in locking down its fences against foreign technology. Thousands of miles away, the US armed forces barred electric cars built by Chinese giant BYD from Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa.
The outpost is America’s biggest air hub in East Asia. It sits right on the front line of any regional crisis. Addressing the vehicle ban to The Guardian, US Air Force spokesperson Lt. Col. Alli Stormer said, “These vehicles present an unacceptable and unmitigable risk to our personnel and our mission.”
Other European nations are taking similar precautions against smart wheels. Poland barred Chinese cars from its military posts earlier this year, granting entry only if drivers switch off built-in cameras and location trackers.
Dutch spies sounded the alarm as well. Intelligence officials in the Netherlands warned that microphones and navigation tools inside modern vehicles make effortless listening posts for foreign governments.
Across the English Channel, British defense contractors told staff never to connect company phones to Chinese electric cars, while lawmakers in Brussels are pushing for continent-wide restrictions.
