Chinese Drones Threaten Security
LRT.lt released a new report, substantiated by US and Western European authorities, about growing evidence the Chinese manufacturer Da-Jiang Innovations is collecting data on critical infrastructure in Lithuania.
Lithuanian intelligence services, the military, the police, and the State Border Guard Service use hundreds of drones branded with the DJI logo. DJI drones account for about 70 percent of the global market. Analysis of public procurement contracts, dating back to 2018, shows that at least 50 contracts have been signed for the purchase of 150 Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The current leadership of the Lithuanian Defence Ministry says it is aware of the issue, and the Lithuanian army has about 100 Chinese drones that could pose a security threat.
In 2018, the US Pentagon banned DJI drones from the American market due to cybersecurity concerns. In 2019, the US Congress passed a law prohibiting the country’s defence institutions from using any Chinese-made UAVs.
The Lithuanian military is not the only organization using Chinese drones in the country. This year, Litgrid, which manages Lithuania’s electricity transmission networks, has purchased DJI equipment for almost 30,000 euros. Klaipėda’s Chief Police Commissariat and the Criminal Police Bureau have also spent several thousand euros on Chinese drones.
In April, the Lithuanian Criminal Investigation Centre bought 20 drones for more than 50,000 euros. It says that it uses this equipment to monitor traffic and other incidents, to search for missing people, as well as to train officers. The State Border Guard Service (VSAT) purchased Chinese-made UAVs for more than 70,000 euros in 2019-2020.
The Lithuanian Military, VSAT, and some police departments said they were aware of possible data leaks using DJI’s drones.
But other institutions that own the equipment, including the Fire and Rescue Department, Litgrid, the National Paying Agency, the Environmental Protection Department, and the Territorial Planning and Building Inspectorate, say they have not received any warnings about the possible threats posed by the Chinese-made drones. Promaksa, one of the largest DJI drone suppliers in Lithuania, has been supplying them to Lithuania’s public sector institutions since 2014 and denies receiving real evidence of possible data breaches.
News from LRT.lt
