MESSAGE
| DATE | 2020-11-02 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Re: [Hangout - NYLXS] Trust the Political Elite
|
The fact that we even are discussing this shows how deeply the failure
of the US political establishment is with regard to Chinese policy. The
issue here is not JUST the security of the drones, but the impact that
these purchases have on the entire US manufactoring ecosystem. US
defense can NOT be dependent on Chinese manufacturing capacity. That is
a policy of national suicide.
WSJ News Exclusive | Air Force Purchase of Chinese Drones Spurs Security
Concerns
Brett Forrest and Gordon Lubold
8-10 minutes
The U.S. Air Force recently bought dozens of Chinese-made drones to use
for testing and training, according to officials and records of the
purchase, fueling concerns about continued Defense Department use of
technology that lawmakers consider a threat to national security.
The Air Force Special Operations Command, the service’s highly trained
commando division, bought 57 drones in September from Da-Jiang
Innovations, or DJI, the world’s largest maker of unmanned aerial
systems, based in Shenzhen, China. They will be used to train airmen on
how they could be used against the U.S. or its allies and how to defeat
them, officials said.
Air Force officials said the drones are cost-effective and useful, and a
DJI spokesman said they don’t pose a risk of data loss or theft.
But critics have said the drones could be used to gather information
about the U.S. military and critical infrastructure, or in other
instances of espionage and data collection, sending the information back
to China.
‘Why would we allow the U.S. government to purchase drones from China?’
said Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.).
Photo: Susan Walsh/Bloomberg News
“Why would we allow the U.S. government to purchase drones from China?”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) said. “Doing so allows Beijing to gather
sensitive data from us and rewards an adversary at the expense of our
own American manufacturers.”
Legislation included last year in a defense-policy bill prohibited
federal agencies from purchasing Chinese drones. However, the bill
provided the Pentagon with an exemption to use such aircraft for
training and intelligence purposes in the U.S. and overseas.
The Air Force operates U.S. unmanned fleets world-wide and trains pilots
to control drones used for surveillance and combat purposes. Some of
those drones consist of small aircraft such as Reapers or Global
Hawks—which can range in weight up to several tons—compared with the
hand-held DJI Mavic 2 drones.
The Special Operations Command has for years purchased and used a range
of Chinese-manufactured, off-the-shelf drones, including those made by
DJI as well as drones produced in European countries, a military
official said.
An internal Special Operations Command memo in June approved the use of
DJI drones for training, analysis and other operations but didn’t spell
out the kinds of operations that could be conducted, which lawmakers
said appeared to be at odds with last year’s law.
Other Mavic 2 drones have been used overseas in intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance operations, but that is “the exception
rather than the rule,” the military official said.
Based in Shenzen, China, DJI is the worlds largest maker of unmanned
aerial systems.
Photo: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg News
Lawmakers said they are concerned about the use of the drones for
purposes that might run counter to the legislation passed and signed
into law.
“It’s very concerning that the Air Force would choose to make this
purchase, which seems to be in conflict with the spirit of these
provisions,” said Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.). Messrs. Murphy and Scott
sponsored the drone legislation included in last year’s spending bill.
A Senate aide expressed concern that any information collected by the
drones could be transmitted to Beijing, exposing vulnerabilities of the
U.S. or its allies.
Navy Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, a special operations command spokesman, said
that the military employs cybersecurity software and strict guidelines
when using such drones.
“We ensure the commercial, off-the-shelf unmanned aerial systems our
special operations forces use do not compromise national security,” he said.
The military official said that the Air Force can cover a drone’s
cameras for certain operations and that the military doesn’t use these
drones in instances where they could capture imagery that may undermine
the U.S. or its allies. They may not be connected to any military
computer network or used near “sensitive sites,” the military official said.
A DJI spokesman said the drones are designed to safeguard information.
“Our drone technology is safe and secure for customers who have
sensitive data,” said Adam Lisberg, the DJI spokesman. “DJI drones
include validated data protections to make sure your data stays only
with you.”
Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.) is one of the lawmakers concerned about the
Air Force’s recent purchase of drones made by DJI.
Photo: joshua roberts/pool/Shutterstock
In October, DJI distributed a memo to lawmakers that stated that
“national security is being used as a pretext for economic
protectionism,” and characterized the ban as a way to “give the American
industry a leg up.”
There are no known cases of data collected on a DJI drone being
dispatched to China, Mr. Lisberg said.
“There is no receiver that sends your stuff to Beijing,” said George
Howell, an analyst at Rain Research, which studies the defense industry.
“But you don’t want to get in the habit of buying these for the
military. To be up in arms about something like this is a good message
to send.”
The dispute over the purchase is the latest row in a conflict between
lawmakers and the Pentagon, which relies on DJI’s affordable drones. The
Mavic 2 Pro sells on Amazon for less than $1,600.
The government has long been concerned about them. In 2017, the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security drafted a bulletin stating that DJI
drones may be collecting U.S. government data.
At the time, more than a dozen federal agencies used DJI drones,
including the Interior Department, which possessed hundreds of models
for use in firefighting, surveying, and search-and-rescue operations.
Concerned about a 2016 Chinese cybersecurity law requiring Chinese
companies to surrender data upon demand, the Interior Department and
other agencies last year grounded their DJI fleets, and the Pentagon
effectively banned the purchase of the drones, but for the exemption.
The Pentagon assigned its Defense Innovation Unit, which works with
private-sector tech companies, to develop and identify viable
alternatives. In August, the DIU approved four U.S. drone manufacturers
and one French firm for federal procurements. The Air Force nonetheless
bought drones from DJI.
The procurement form that the Air Force submitted for the 57-drone
purchase stated that the Mavic 2 is more cost-effective than any other
viable device.
“This is a reflection of how difficult it is to on-ramp new and
innovative American technology,” said Mr. Howell, the defense industry
analyst. “We can’t get into the habit of buying DJI drones, because we
need to grow our own industry.”
Write to Brett Forrest at brett.forrest-at-wsj.com and Gordon Lubold at
Gordon.Lubold-at-wsj.com
On 11/2/20 11:12 AM, aviva wrote:
> Thisis the POLITICAL ELITE that they would have you trust..
>>From todays Wall Street Journal.
>
> VOTE Trump and end the stupidity.
>
> Air Force Purchase of Chinese Drones Spurs Security Concerns
> The military uses drones for training and other purposes as lawmakers,
> experts warn of possible risks of data theft
>
> The Air Force recently bought 57 drones from China’s Da-Jiang
> Innovations to be used in testing and training.
>
> By
> and
> Nov. 2, 2020 8:00 am ET
>
> The U.S. Air Force recently bought dozens of Chinese-made drones to use
> for testing and training, according to officials and records of the
> purchase, fueling concerns about continued Defense Department use of
> technology that lawmakers consider a threat to national security.
> The Air Force Special Operations Command, the service’s highly trained
> commando division, bought 57 drones in September from Da-Jiang
> Innovations, or DJI, the world’s largest maker of unmanned aerial
> systems, based in Shenzhen, China. They will be used to train airmen on
> how they could be used against the U.S. or its allies and how to defeat
> them, officials said.
> Air Force officials said the drones are cost-effective and useful, and a
> DJI spokesman said they don’t pose a risk of data loss or theft.
> But critics have said the drones could be used to gather information
> about the U.S. military and critical infrastructure, or in other
> instances of espionage and data collection, sending the information back
> to China.
>
> https://www.wsj.com/articles/air-force-purchase-of-chinese-drones-spurs-security-concerns-11604322017?mod=hp_lead_pos4
> _______________________________________________
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--
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that Brooklyn, like Atlantis, reaches mythological
proportions in the mind of the world - RI Safir 1998
http://www.mrbrklyn.com
DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI Safir 2002
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software
http://www.brooklyn-living.com
Being so tracked is for FARM ANIMALS and extermination camps,
but incompatible with living as a free human being. -RI Safir 2013
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