In 2020, DJI was placed on the Department of Commerce’s Entity List (colloquially known as the “economic blacklist”). Now, four years later, the Home Office is reporting on the negative effects of that decision.
The study, announced last week, was commissioned by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to examine the Department of the Interior’s drone policies and operations. GAO found that since DOI began banning drone purchases from DJI in 2020, the ability to maintain enough aircraft to support both emergency and non-emergency operations has been challenged. It meant that I was facing it.
“According to Interior Department officials, the decline in aircraft is limiting the agency’s ability to expand the use of drones for emergency operations, with some agencies meeting the needs of these operations,” the GAO report said. “We do not have enough drones to meet the demand.”
“For example,[government agencies]do not have enough drones for wildland fire management and prevention operations, and some operations are being switched to riskier and more costly methods such as helicopters. In addition, the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) has reduced its drone flights to characterize the country’s susceptibility to and impacts from natural disasters, officials said. These include floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and hurricanes.”
Home Office drones are not the only ones affected.
“Interior’s drone policy also prohibits other entities from operating certain foreign-made drones on lands managed by Interior. As a result, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Some drone missions for wildlife surveys on the land have been modified or canceled, NOAA officials said.In addition, Interior’s non-federal partners, such as universities, have drones that comply with Interior’s policies. As a result, such organizations can no longer fly missions over Interior-managed lands for purposes such as monitoring wildlife populations or assessing archaeological sites, Interior officials said. ”, the GAO reported.
From 2020 to 2022, the Department of the Interior was not allowed to use DJI drones outside of emergencies such as wildfire management. In 2022, the Interior Ministry lifted rules allowing these drones to be deployed in non-emergency situations, but the ban on their procurement remains in place.
“Due to these challenges, Interior has not been able to fully replace aging drones that have reached the end of their useful lives. However, Interior has made its needs known to compliant drone manufacturers and some “Agency officials said they are exploring ways to adapt to the rising cost of compliant drones, including by procuring drones that can be shared by multiple program offices,” GAO added. .
Although DJI is not the only drone company in the world, its technology and drone performance significantly exceeds the capabilities of its competitors, which makes DJI the only major company operating in both the consumer and enterprise sectors. That’s why I continue to be a drone player. There’s a reason DJI controls over 70% of the global drone market. It is also clear that while other corporate options such as Skydio are available, there must be a reason why the Home Office has not been able to meet the needs of its drone fleet through them. One factor is obviously the high cost.
“Opportunities that have been canceled, reduced in scope, or not started have resulted in missed opportunities to collect data for projects related to landscapes, natural resources, cultural resources, wildlife, and infrastructure, including: , FWS canceled a planned project to collect aerial imagery for restoration efforts following the Swan Lake Fire in Alaska,” the report states. Acquiring these images on foot was not possible due to the danger.
DJI published a blog post this week highlighting these issues as prime examples of how drones have become essential only for Interior Department operations (other uses such as law enforcement and construction are not included). (not). Predictably, DJI claims that a complete ban, which is currently being considered by the US Congress, would make the situation even worse.
“This report is a stark reminder of the operational hurdles DOI faces due to these restrictions, which not only limit access to critical technology, but also increase costs and compromise staff safety.” writes DJI. “Without a balanced approach, the United States risks losing critical tools to protect life and property.”
DJI has always maintained that its products do not pose a risk to U.S. national security, as has been accused. Additionally, a 2021 Department of Defense report obtained by the media said “no malicious code or intent was found” in DJI drone software and that “the DJI Government Edition version tested… It also points out that its use is recommended. We work with US services. ”
Rather than completely banning its drones, DJI will establish industry-wide drone security standards that are technology-based (rather than country-of-origin-based) and allow drone operators to choose the best drone platform for their operations. They argue that freedom should be maintained. We need free, open and competitive markets so that the market can decide which products will grow depending on the situation.
The Chinese Communist Party Drone Countermeasures Act, which bans DJI drones in the United States, passed the House of Representatives in September and was formally handed over to the Senate for further debate, possible amendments, and a final vote.
Image credit: DJI
