Chinese Drones Surveying UK Infrastructure Sites Raise Security Concerns

UK government officials are privately expressing concerns over the use of Chinese-manufactured drones to collect high-resolution images of critical national infrastructure sites, Bloomberg reports.

This practice appears to contradict guidance from the country’s own security services.

Companies responsible for essential services, including National Grid Plc, which operates the UK’s electricity and gas networks, are using drones manufactured by Shenzhen-based SZ DJI Technology Co.

These drones are employed to capture videos, photographs, and thermal images of electricity substations, as evidenced by information posted on National Grid’s website as recently as September. DJI drones have also been utilized in the construction of Electricite de France SA’s Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, for inspecting solar farms, and by Thames Water for monitoring reservoirs and the water supply.

This widespread deployment occurs despite a 2023 warning from the UK’s National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), a part of MI5, advising British organizations managing sensitive sites to be wary of using drones “manufactured in countries with coercive data sharing practices,” a clear reference to China. Further fueling concerns, the US Department of Defense added DJI to a blacklist of Chinese firms with alleged military ties in 2022.

In response to inquiries, National Grid stated that it adheres to government guidance, while Thames Water affirmed that it takes security “seriously.” DJI and EDF have not responded to requests for comment.

The issue is further complicated by the fact that Chinese-made products appear to be the preferred drone technology for many companies managing British critical infrastructure, primarily because DJI dominates the commercial drone market and offers relatively low-cost options.

One British official described the situation as a challenging balancing act, with the government publicly pursuing closer economic ties with Beijing while privately grappling with frustrations that companies operating in sensitive areas are not adequately addressing the potential security threats posed by China.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is pursuing closer economic ties with China, even amid these security concerns. Last year, reports surfaced indicating that Chinese state actors may have made widespread, and potentially successful, attempts to access British critical infrastructure networks, highlighting vulnerabilities to sophisticated foreign security breaches.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned that Chinese-made drones “pose a significant risk to critical infrastructure” due to potential vulnerabilities that “enable data theft or facilitate network compromises.” Similarly, the UK’s NPSA advises British companies that “the first line of defense for organizations wishing to use unmanned aerial systems (UAS) may be to restrict UAS and associated component procurement from countries which pose a risk to security.”