It’s a disturbing video sequence. In the urban canyons of Shanghai, people cry their frustration out of their souls. Locked in their apartments in the Chinese metropolis, they are protesting their country’s covid policy when a drone with a loudspeaker suddenly flies by. «Control your soul’s desire for freedom. Don’t open the window and don’t sing.
In China, it is impossible to imagine the public space without airplanes. But the Asian powerhouse also dominates the civilian drone market. The company DJI from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen is the largest drone manufacturer in the world. Revenue: $3 billion per year. Global market share: more than 50 percent.
Research by CH Media now shows that the Swiss army is also one of the customers. On request, she confirms: “For testing purposes, Armasuisse has acquired four small drones designed for the civilian market.” The Federal Bureau of Armaments chose the “DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced” model – including speakers. Cost point: 5000 francs each.
Drone tests were successful
The public knew nothing about this until now. The federal government has refrained from communicating the tender. The military argued that it was “just experiments”. “If an introduction is planned for the benefit of the army, it will also be well communicated.”
It will not fail because of the technical skills of the drones. The tests carried out in 2021 were successful. The drone meets “all requirements”, the army writes. It was tested to see if it would prove its worth in removing duds and restoring former firing ranges. The focus was on two tasks: observation with daylight and thermal imaging cameras and warnings through loudspeakers.
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Alarm bells are ringing among left-wing security politicians. “It is incomprehensible to me that drones are being taken from China,” says alderman Marionna Schlatter (Greens/ZH). SP council member Min Li Marti also considers the use of Chinese drones to be “potentially problematic”. For her comrade Franziska Roth from Solothurn, the move is “geopolitically very problematic”. While Switzerland is seeking closer cooperation with NATO, it is also buying drones from the Chinese, “not the biggest threat to NATO”.
The US military does not use DJI drones
The army sees no problem. The drones are not intended for tactical operations. “They are only used in the normal situation and to supervise the removal of duds in public areas,” the army emphasizes. They would therefore fly in areas where civilian drones from the same manufacturer can also be found.
The concerns of the left are not unfounded. DJI has been making headlines internationally for years. The company allegedly helped the Chinese military monitor the Uyghur Muslim minority. And according to the US Department of Defense, it poses a risk to national security and makes the US more vulnerable to cyber attacks. The US military is therefore not allowed to use drones from this provider since 2017.
The fact that a NATO state has put the company on a blacklist leaves the Swiss army cold. “Numerous authorities and organizations with security tasks in Switzerland and in neighboring countries use drones from DJI.” In any case, according to the army, it had no other choice. The model is “today the only drone on the market that meets the technical requirements”.
SP security politician Roth reacted incomprehensibly. “The Americans are very careful about what equipment they work with in their army and what not.” It is unclear why the Swiss army thinks otherwise. Green National Councilor Schlatter also considers China’s technological dependence to be a “major security risk”.
Closely associated with the state
There are concerns not only in the US. The fear of a gateway for espionage is also growing in Europe. At the beginning of the year, researchers from Germany discovered some serious security loopholes in DJI drones. The serial number of the devices could be changed, the drone’s location was overwritten and the plane crashed remotely.
The company immediately corrected the vulnerabilities. What remains, however, is the close relationship with the Chinese state. Contrary to previous commitments, DJI also received money from the sovereign wealth fund, as the Washington Post revealed last year. With this, China wants to entice commercial suppliers to gain a foothold in the arms sector.
A law also obliges Chinese companies to cooperate with the intelligence service. In the eyes of the German government, there is a risk of interference. Despite criticism, it announced in the spring that it would continue to buy 60 drones for use in disaster areas. However, in response, she assured that she would use special software to ensure data security.
“It could very well be that the drones are unproblematic,” says SP national councilor Marti. To do this, however, the military must ensure that the necessary clarifications and security measures are taken – as happened in Germany. “It’s not visible here.”
Green politician Schlatter is also skeptical. Because only the manufacturer knows what their software does, “a common basis of trust” is necessary. Schlatter questions whether this requirement is met in terms of data protection with China.
From the point of view of the authorities, this is irrelevant. The transfer of personal data to Chinese authorities by the Swiss military is “not legally possible,” writes Federal Data Protection Officer Adrian Lobsiger when asked. The military adds that there is no provision for the provider to access data and systems.
The police don’t see any problems
This is also evident from the experiences of the Swiss police force that were contacted. Many are already using DJI drones today – especially for measuring the scene of an accident or searching for missing persons in rough terrain. The St. Gallen Cantonal Police alone owns 30 Chinese drones. Aargau, Bern, Lucerne and Zurich have also purchased several devices.
The rule is that the drones always fly in offline mode – so without an internet connection. This also applies to an update of the software. Most of the data is images. Florian Schneider, police spokesman from St.Gallen, compares the data processing with a conventional camera. The drone has a memory card for the images, which is read after each flight.
Schneider also points out that a majority of US blue light organizations also use Chinese drones. The conference of cantonal police commanders (KKPKS) also concluded with the US in mind: “This is about political decisions that have nothing to do with the procurement of drones in Switzerland.” (aargauerzeitung.ch)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
