According to a news release from the US House Committee on China on Tuesday (August 27th), the committee’s senior members have written to the Department of Commerce this month, requesting the department to take action to address the security threats posed by DJI drones and US companies associated with DJI. The committee also sent a letter to the CEO of Anzu Robotics, an American company, requesting clarification on the relationship between their company and the Chinese military drone company DJI.
Chairman of the House Committee on China, Republican Representative John Moolenaar, and the committee’s chief Democratic representative, Raja Krishnamoorthi, outlined a significant amount of evidence in their letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, demonstrating concerning ties between Anzu Robotics and DJI. They urged the Department of Commerce to consider measures to address the threats posed by Anzu Robotics and another drone manufacturer, Cogito Tech, which shares similar issues.
Members of Congress stated that the Specta Air drones sold by Hong Kong-based Cogito Tech are essentially DJI drones under a different name.
In their letter to Randall Warnas, the CEO of Anzu Robotics, the two members of congress wrote that security researchers have confirmed that Anzu Robotics’ Raptor T drone is essentially a green-painted DJI Mavic 3, with its remote control and applications based on DJI technology.
“Based partly on your own statements, DJI appears to be using Anzu Robotics in an attempt to circumvent current and anticipated US restrictions on DJI products,” the letter stated. “What’s even more concerning is that we have found Anzu’s CEO admitting in a recent interview that the primary goal of the DJI-Anzu relationship is to evade the increasing legislative restrictions on DJI products in the US.”
These letters indicate that due to concerns about national security threats, the US Congress is tightening scrutiny on Chinese drones and seeking further action against companies related to the Chinese Communist Party.
In addition to sending letters to the CEO of Anzu Robotics, members of congress also wrote to Commerce Secretary Raimondo regarding the security risks posed by DJI.
In their letter to Raimondo, members of congress stated, “DJI seems to be leveraging these companies as part of a combined effort to thwart current and future US restrictions on DJI operations.”
The congressmen requested the Department of Commerce to clarify what actions they are taking to investigate this issue. Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi also wrote in the letter that DJI maintains close ties with the Chinese government and expresses loyalty to the CCP leader.
The US Congress is moving to further restrict DJI drones.
The “Countering CCP Drones Act” included in the “2025 National Defense Authorization Act” (NDAA) passed by the US House in June, requires specific devices and services from DJI, the world’s largest drone manufacturer, to be added to the Federal Communication Commission’s “covered list” and not used for US communication infrastructure.
According to the “Congressional Hill Report,” if the FCC identifies companies associated with DJI as subsidiaries, they may also be subject to the restrictions of the “Countering CCP Drones Act.”