Chinese Drones May Be Spying All Over DC

ANALYSIS – We have recently heard a lot about UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) and the newer UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena).

The Pentagon has even weighed in on their myriad interactions with military pilots and astronauts.

Some analysts have concluded many of these UAP sightings are simply aerial or space debris. 

While enemy spy aircraft account for many of the incidents as well.

In that vein, experts and lawmakers are now raising the alarm over what are likely large numbers of Chinese Communist (Chicom) drones on spy missions over DC.

This more down-to-earth threat needs to be addressed quickly and forcibly.

POLITICO reports:

Hundreds of Chinese-manufactured drones have been detected in restricted airspace over Washington, D.C., in recent months, a trend that national security agencies fear could become a new means for foreign espionage.

The recreational drones made by Chinese company DJI, which are designed with “geofencing” restrictions to keep them out of sensitive locations, are being manipulated by users with simple workarounds to fly over no-go zones around the nation’s capital.

…officials say they do not believe the swarms are directed by the Chinese government. Yet the violations by users mark a new turn in the proliferation of relatively cheap but increasingly sophisticated drones that can be used for recreation and commerce.

Still, lawmakers are concerned.

…DJI has secured funding from investment entities owned by the Chinese government — a fact that DJI reportedly sought to conceal. And the ease with which recreational users can evade the flight restrictions means that their high-definition cameras or other sensors could also be hacked into for intelligence-gathering.

POLITICO adds:

“Any technological product with origins in China or Chinese companies holds a real risk and potential of vulnerability that can be exploited both now and in a time of conflict,” Sen. Marco Rubio, vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, said in an interview about the potential threats posed by foreign-made drones. “They’re manufactured in China or manufactured by a Chinese company, but they’ll put a sticker on it of some non-Chinese company that repackages it so you don’t even know that you’re buying it.

And the highly restricted airspace above DC is a prime drone target.

POLITICO continue:

…data recently shared with Congress highlights more than 100 incursions in a recent 45-day period but the sources requested that specific numbers, locations and frequency not be published for security reasons.

But it’s not just potential spying. 

FBI Director Christopher Wray recently warned  that the Bureau has seen within the U.S., attempts to weaponize drones with homemade [improvised explosive devices].”

So, what can be done?

In February, GOP U.S. Senator Marco Rubio introduced legislation to add DJI to a Federal Communications Commission list designating it as a national security threat. 

This would restrict DJI drones’ ability to link to U.S. telecommunications systems.

This measure was adopted after it was reported that the company sought to conceal its funding by the Chinese government.

Unfortunately, the bill has been stalled and hasn’t gone anywhere in Congress.

It’s time to implement this bill and turn it into law.

Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.