Germany Bans Chinese Drones and Cars From Military Bases Over Spying Fears
The military will phase out existing Chinese equipment and replace it with German or European alternatives, citing fears of data leaks and espionage.
- On Nov 10, the German military banned commercially available Chinese-made drones from barracks and training grounds, effective immediately, citing security concerns, Der Spiegel reported.
- Local commanders previously purchased off-the-shelf drones under a 2024 strategy that included a "white list" of approved systems, including several made by China-based DJI.
- The Defense Ministry, led by Boris Pistorius, confirmed existing Chinese equipment will be phased out and replaced with German or European alternatives to prevent data leaks to Beijing.
- Alongside the drone ban, the military imposed broad access restrictions on vehicles from manufacturers such as BYD, Geely, and NIO, requiring personnel to park outside secure zones.
- This directive aligns with a broader German crackdown on espionage; authorities recently arrested former Federal Intelligence Service chief August Hanning and former BND employee Manfred on suspicion of treason.
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Fears persist that sensitive data, including information on military exercises and imagery of barracks and training grounds, could be transmitted
Germany Bans Chinese Drones and Cars From Military Bases Over Spying Fears
Germany’s armed forces have barred small commercial drones made in China from military barracks and training grounds and restricted Chinese-built vehicles from entering military facilities over espionage concerns.
Kurier
ORF.at News"to be replaced by national or European products."
Berliner Morgenpost
The reason for this is security concerns. The fear is that the devices will transmit sensitive data to the Chinese intelligence services.
Bundesver increased security measures because of fears of possible spying in favour of China, the military banned the use of Chinese drones and a number of manufacturers ' cars restricted access to military targets.
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