BERLIN (AP) — The German military will stop using Chinese-made drones for training purposes and replace them with German or other European models, the government said Wednesday.
The Defense Ministry said that commanders in the German military, the Bundeswehr, can buy off-the-shelf commercial drones for training and some exercise purposes. It stressed that such drones can only be used after a risk assessment and in circumstances where no “security-relevant information” is at risk.
It said in an emailed statement that “in order to strengthen the Bundeswehr’s self-sufficiency and technological sovereignty,” no Chinese drone models will be used in the future, and they will be replaced by domestic or other European-made drones. German outlet Der Spiegel first reported on the decision.
The ministry did not specify how many Chinese-made drones are in use in the Bundeswehr.
