Looks like the UK MoD don’t consider DJI drones to be a security risk, unlike the USA
1 Like
Shame really, we have the skills and technology in our country to invest in. “Not impressed”
In fairness even with the best investment it would likely be on the order of at least a decade before a British drone startup would be able to produce a line of products able to rival DJI’s offerings including the features their products have. This kind of R&D isn’t cheap nor quick.
Plus with all the red tape to do exporting now, why even bother. You can’t build a niche business relying solely on UK custom.
Plus if there was anything decent, the MoD would have snapped it up by now, and maybe have, but need an immediate solution. Nothing brings on innovation better than war. Well, maybe porn!
Ha ha can just imagine the unit commander applying for unlock codes to a geo zone…
It’s interesting considering that Parrot, a French company recently (2020) signed a contract with the U.S. military to supply them with drones (Parrot selected by the U.S.A. as a major drone supplier) and also is one of Pentagon’s recommended drone supplier for their law & enforcement (Pentagon Announces 5 American-Made Drones Available to US Law Enforcement). They specifically have the Anafi USA brand to ensure the drones are manufactured in the U.S.
Especially considering the suspicion about the AeroScope usage in the Ukraine war I find it quite surprising that the military decides to trust them (Ukrainians Say Russia is Still Tracking Their Drones with DJI AeroScope | PetaPixel) not to mention that they lied about the signal being encrypted (DJI insisted AeroScope signals were encrypted — now it admits they aren’t - The Verge)
But hey, what do I know.
As it’s about the MoD acquisition of drones….
Ultimately it doesn’t matter how long it takes as long as the MoD becomes independent of other nations especially China….
Half-agree for the mid-long term, except I’d be happy with it being a NATO partner we procure them from.
We should be at the forefront of these technologies as we were years ago, we have lost pride in our industries.
Back in the day the caveman never went to another caveman to ask him to make him a club, why you’d ask, because the other caveman would think to himself “I better not make it too heavy in case I ever have to fight him”……
1 Like
I just saw a new drone company in the USA called EXO trying to take on DJI. A tough ask I may say but it’s always possible. One of their blurbs say that their drones pass on data to Chinese communist party! Now I dont know the truth otherwise of this claim by EXO. If we don’t buy Huawei products, shouldn’t the same logic apply here?
The point is I think UK can develop drones if it wants to. We are taking the easy way out. Our dependence on products developed and / or manufactured in China is not healthy. .
1 Like
Its healthy for the bank balance of the majority though ;o(
I understand. These are personal choices that we all have to make. Its where we draw the line of compromise. No doubt DJI is a well oiled machine. For years UK had a huge advantage in manufacturing and we have let it slip away.