The entire drone fleet of the US Department of the Interior will remain on the ground until further notice. Affected are more than 800 aircraft. The Wall Street Journal first reported about it. The ministry confirmed the decision to other media.
The reason for the step is therefore the concern of those responsible against espionage and cyberattacks by China. Each drone in the Home Office's fleet was either built entirely in China or had parts made in China, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Interior Minister David Bernhardt accordingly ordered the step. The drones should not be used until a review including assessment of the security risks has been completed. Excluded are only drones, which are currently used in emergencies such as natural disasters or rescue operations, according to a statement of the Ministry to the US technology portal "The Verge".
Drones are used among other things to combat forest fires
Government agencies in the US use drones to combat forest fires, control dams, and inspect environmental damage, among other things.
According to the Wall Street Journal, one major reason for the Ministry of the Interior's decision is the concern that the drones could be used to transmit data, including shots of sensitive US infrastructure. This, it is feared, could serve as the basis for future cyber attacks.
The US has been accusing China of industrial espionage for years. US President Donald Trump blacklisted Chinese technology giant Huawei in mid-May for fear of espionage. As a result, the Group will no longer be able to receive contracts for telecom equipment to build the new 5G mobile communications standard in the United States and will not purchase components from US companies without specific permission.
China hopes that the US government will stop "abusing the concept of national security," a State Department spokesman in Beijing said after the recent US Home Office decision. Chinese companies should not be discriminated against.
