Bundeswehr bans Chinese drones and cars from barracks over fears of espionage

In brief

• The Bundeswehr is removing small drones from Chinese manufacturers from barracks and training grounds and replacing them with European or national products.
• Chinese-made cars are barred from entering military sites over fears that their sensors could send data to China.
• The ministry has not disclosed how many Chinese drones were purchased since 2024, and a source puts the number at several thousand.

Drones pulled from service

According to Der Spiegel, the Bundeswehr has ordered that commercial drones from large Chinese manufacturers, including DJI, no longer be used anywhere in the armed forces ("Spiegel"-Bericht - Bundeswehr will wegen Sicherheitsbedenken chinesische Drohnen und Autos in Militäreinrichtungen verbieten – Deutschlandfunk) (Bundeswehr verbannt Drohnen und Autos aus China aus den Kasernen – Spionagegefahr – DER SPIEGEL). The order was issued over the past few weeks and applies to all units (Spiegel: Бундесвер заборонив китайські дрони та автомобілі на військових об'єктах – Європейська правда) (Бундесвер отказался от китайских дронов и запретил въезд китайским машинам в казармы из-за угрозы шпионажа – The Insider). A ministry spokesperson confirmed that Chinese models will no longer be used and that existing systems will be replaced with national or European products.

The security concern

The ministry fears that the drones could send information on exercises, images of barracks and training areas, and details about German weapons systems to Chinese intelligence. Officials are also reported to be concerned that the sensors in Chinese cars could record sensitive data and transmit it to China. The United States and Poland had already banned vehicles from Chinese manufacturers from military facilities.

How the purchases happened

In 2024 the Bundeswehr drew up a list of suitable commercial drone models, which allowed unit commanders to buy them with few bureaucratic steps. There was no central record of purchases, and the ministry has not said how many Chinese drones were bought since 2024, citing military security. A Der Spiegel source puts the number at several thousand devices. One source also says the Military Counterintelligence Service found traces of data leakage on drones in use, a claim the ministry did not comment on.

Restrictions on cars

Vehicles from Chinese manufacturers may no longer enter barracks and other secured sites, according to reports (Bundeswehr verbannt wohl chinesische Drohnen und Autos aus Kasernen – t-online.de). Military personnel with Chinese cars are reportedly required to park outside barracks gates.