US Senate Trapped in Self-Created Dilemma – Opinion

The US Senate Armed Services Committee has released its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which, unlike the version passed by the House of Representatives last month, does not include a requirement to restrict the entry of DJI drones into the US market.

The SASC version of the bill passed in closed session last month by a vote of 22 to 3. It will go to the full Senate for consideration. If passed by the Senate, it will have to be reconciled with the House version.

Previously, the House version of the bill required DJI to be included on the Federal Communications Commission’s so-called “control list,” preventing the Chinese company’s new equipment or software from obtaining FCC certification, which could also lead to the revocation of its existing FCC authorization.

The hesitation of US lawmakers to ban DJI drones stems from the fact that the technological level of US-made drones cannot be compared with that of Chinese drones and it is not easy to find suitable substitutes.

In recent years, the US administration has regularly cracked down on many Chinese companies, including DJI, under the pretext of protecting “data security” and “national security.” But judging from the current situation, US lawmakers seem to have accepted that the US will have to put aside its unfounded “security” concerns before it can find suitable replacements for DJI drones.

Chinese drones are not only widely used in American agriculture (four out of five drones flying over American farms are made by Chinese companies, including DJI), but they are also used by the U.S. military, law enforcement, and emergency personnel. Chinese drones account for 90% of the law enforcement market and 92% of the emergency response market in the United States. Chinese drones therefore play an important role in protecting U.S. food and national security, as well as protecting the lives and property of the American people.

That’s why U.S. lawmakers are facing fierce opposition from Chinese drone customers in the United States to their proposal to ban DJI in the country, which, if passed, would ironically pose an imminent threat to U.S. security.

But if they continue to allow the use of DJI drones, US lawmakers will make it clear that their attempt to ban DJI drones has nothing to do with “security” concerns, but is a protectionist measure aimed at protecting American drone companies.