Security concerns mount over Chinese drones used at critical sites in UK

UK government officials have raised private concerns that Chinese-manufactured drones are being used to take high-resolution images of critical national infrastructure sites in the UK, going against guidance from the country’s security services.

National Grid Plc, which operates the nation’s electricity and gas networks, uses drones made by Shenzhen-based DJI Technology Co. to take videos, photographs and thermal images of its electricity substations, according to information posted on its website as recently as September.

DJI drones have also been used to survey the construction of Electricite de France SA’s Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, to inspect solar farms, and by Thames Water to monitor reservoirs and the water supply.

Deployment of the drones comes despite a warning in 2023 by the UK’s National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), part of the domestic security service MI5, that British organisations managing sensitive sites should be wary of using drones “manufactured in countries with coercive data sharing practices”, a reference to China.

Moreover, in 2022, the US Department of Defence included DJI on a blacklist of Chinese firms with military ties. National Grid said it follows government guidance, while Thames Water said it takes security “seriously”. EDF did not respond to requests for comment.

DJI said in a statement that it has never received a request for overseas data from the Chinese government. “There is simply no evidence that has been shared with us to indicate that DJI drones transmit sensitive data to any unauthorised parties,” a spokesperson said.